


Moving Forward

by ANQTNL2020



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bittersweet, F/M, Family, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:36:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 22,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27265834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ANQTNL2020/pseuds/ANQTNL2020
Summary: “It was some cruel twist of fate that they would make the decision to try for a second child a mere two weeks before Tony was taken from them.”A few months after his death, Pepper decides to follow through with her and Tony’s second child back-up plan.
Relationships: Happy Hogan/May Parker (Spider-Man), Pepper Potts & James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Pepper Potts & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Peter Parker & Pepper Potts
Comments: 1
Kudos: 49





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at actually posting to this site, so please forgive any formatting or tagging errors. It’s been many, many years since I dabbled in fanfic but Endgame really crushed my soul and I now have dozens of stories sitting on my hard drive. 
> 
> This started as a short idea that grew into something larger, so I cut it into two parts. Expect part two within a week.

Pepper was in her usual spot on the couch. Bedtime routine for their daughter was usually a shared task, but on occasion she and Tony would switch off to give the other some rare moments of alone time. Tony would usually spend that time staring at schematics, mumbling ideas for FRIDAY to record. Pepper preferred reading anything not related to Stark Industries.

This was one of those such nights and she was tucked into the couch with a fashion magazine, a treat she so rarely indulged. She found herself dog earring pages for future reference and fondly remembering her younger years where her life consisted only of keeping track of Tony and buying expensive shoes. Simpler times, really.

She nearly jumped when her husband essentially slammed into her side, sending the magazine to the floor. Pepper glared at him, receiving only a bashful smile in return.

“Boss Lady is asleep.”

“Is she? Or is she pretending?”

“Nope, definitely asleep. I’m a master at telling the difference.”

He slipped his arms around her, tugging her into his lap. She sighed happily, her arms moving around his neck to hug him closer. The house was silent, punctuated by the occasional rustling of an animal outside. Pepper melted into his warm embrace, her head falling to tuck into his shoulder. This was better than browsing a magazine; peace and quiet with her so rarely peaceful and quiet husband.

“Wanna go up to bed early?” His tone wasn’t playful, signaling he was likely just as tired as she was.

She shook her head. “This is nice.”

“Very nice,” he agreed, running his hand up and down her back.

One of the many wonderful things about being together for as long as they had was that Pepper was always acutely aware of Tony’s mind. She could sense his thoughts when they crept to a dark place, or when they were a million miles away in mad scientist land. After nearly a minute of their silence, she could feel the subtle change in his muscles and breathing, and knew if she pulled away to look at his face, she would confirm her suspicions.

“Tony?” she prompted.

“Hm?”

“I can hear you thinking, you know.”

He chuckled, craning his head to land a kiss near her temple. “I had a thought today.”

“Uh-oh.”

“A good one. I think. Maybe. Depends on how you feel.”

She shifted her position, sensing this was a face-to-face conversation. She kept her hands around him, fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. He was relaxed, a bit pleased looking if anything. She smiled, encouraging him to continue.

“I was thinking about the embryos on ice.”

Pepper blinked, surprised at his words. In all honesty, she had forgotten about their second child back-up plan. Having had Morgan at an older age, they both knew how unlikely it was they would manage a second pregnancy in the traditional way. Neither one was prepared to commit to a second child immediately after having their daughter, but they agreed they wanted to keep the door open at least. Hence the fertilized eggs sitting in a highly confidential lab several hours away.

Tony rubbed her back comfortingly. “That’s a look. Is that a hard no or…?”

“I had forgotten.” She frowned. “Is it bad I’d forgotten? It’s not like forgetting to pick up milk or missing a meeting.”

“I don’t think it’s bad. We’re a little busy here. You more than me. I was just thinking about how big Morgan is. I mean, she’s gotten so independent just in the last few months and I keep thinking how amazing it is and-”

“And you’d like to do it again,” she finished for him.

“Do you want to do it again?”

She sighed, her head suddenly spinning. “I’m forty-nine, Tony. We got so lucky with Morgan. The fact that I carried her normally and didn’t need a C-section was amazing. You remember the doctors last time. If we did this, I’d be high risk. There’d probably be bed rest and God only knows what could happen.”

“We can go the surrogate route.”

“Can you think of someone you would trust to do that?”

He winced. “I know, I just…I want another one. Do you?”

Despite having forgotten about the embryos, Pepper _had_ given thought to another baby. The rare times they took Morgan to public places like parks and museums so she could have playmates her own age always left her wondering if she really wanted their daughter to be an only child. She and Tony had both grown up without siblings and it hadn’t bothered them. But she still wondered.

Tony kissed her forehead. “I’m perfectly happy with our family just the way it is. Maybe we’re meant to be a family of three.” He paused, a slightly mischievous look in his eyes. “Or maybe not. Maybe this one would have your hair and eyes.”

Pepper couldn’t help the grin that formed as she pictured her husband holding a tiny Morgan, the comic despair in his face when he realized she looked like him instead of Pepper. He did look damn good with a baby in his arms.

“Stark genes will always dominate, honey, you understand how genetics work, right?”

“Still a chance. I’m sorry to force the conversation.”

She was glad he had because now her mind was drifting to questions of how to handle her maternity leave, and which room would they turn into a nursery. “No, time is kind of running out. Maybe now is a good time. Stark has finally settled into the new way of the world, and like you said, Morgan is older and more independent.”

“I’m still down for full-time Dad duties.”

“Could you handle Morgan and a newborn at the same time?”

“Are you kidding? I’m like a professional at this point. I know, let’s hope for twins.”

She let her head fall into his as she laughed. “Let’s not.”

“So is this a yes? We’re doing this?”

Pepper kissed him softly. “My annual with my doctor is next month. I’ll talk to her about getting started.”

She let out a yelp when Tony suddenly lifted up, his arms sliding down to hold her. Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist. “What are you doing?”

He moved to the stairs. “We need to practice,” he insisted, as though completely forgetting this baby wouldn’t be conceived the old fashioned way.

Pepper giggled, pressing a kiss to the side of his neck. “I like to think we know what we’re doing by now.”

“Always room for improvement, Potts, and I’m very eager to improve with you tonight.”

It was some cruel twist of fate that they would make the decision to try for a second child a mere two weeks before Tony was taken from them.

***

It had been three months since she had said goodbye to her husband.

Pepper was at the dining room table, lap top open as she enjoyed a glass of white wine and reviewed their personal finances. It was something of a January ritual that brought out her inner accountant, as Tony had always teased. As a man who had never had to give much thought to the state of his finances, he delighted in the methodical manner in which his wife monitored their accounts and investments.

This year was the first she was doing it entirely on her own. Part of her kept glancing up, waiting to see his smirking face as she questioned a particularly bizarre purchase. Last year it had been the television for Gerald’s barn (because he got bored on long winter nights) and a rather obscene donation to the Possum Lover’s Club of America (he met the club president at a coffee shop and had apparently been deeply moved by her story).

A glance at the clock at the corner of her screen told her it was late. Too late. She sighed, leaning back in her chair. Morgan was back to sleeping in her own room, something that was more upsetting to her mother than to Morgan herself. Pepper now found herself looking for reasons not to go to bed. It was easier to push herself to the edge of exhaustion so she would pass out the moment her head hit the pillow. Laying in their bed, knowing he wasn’t simply out in the garage or downstairs at his holo table, it was more painful than she cared to admit.

Her eyes moved over the spreadsheet lazily. Nothing unusual. There was actually an uptick in electricity and water use the last few months; she couldn’t remember the last time she went more than two nights without Happy or Rhodey “crashing” in the guest room. Sometimes both of them the same night. She was convinced the pair had a schedule worked out so she and Morgan were never alone.

Near the bottom were the yearly costs and she found herself staring intently at one charge in particular. An annual charge that had been automatically deducted from their main account for the last three years. Twelve hundred dollars to a very special storage facility, a lab really.

She had forgotten. Again.

Pepper knew she was crying. She felt like all she did was cry sometimes. She closed the computer softly. Needing to do something, anything, she grabbed the wine glass and downed it in one go. For once, she wished Happy or Jim had invited themselves over for the night.

Leaving her glass in the kitchen sink, she made her way upstairs. FRIDAY automatically lit the hallway with low lights. Pepper went straight for her daughter’s room, stepping inside quietly. Morgan was sound asleep, head tucked into her pillow. She slept like Tony. She did everything like Tony. Pepper knew it was only because those were the traits that stood out. Morgan was a lot like her mother, but it was what she got from her father that everyone noticed.

Logically, she knew she should go to her own bed. She should take a few deep breaths and choke back her tears and just wait for sleep to take her. She had been managing for months now, so clearly it was possible. But she didn’t have the strength to do it. Not tonight. Not after that brutal reminder that life was not going the way it was supposed to.

She carefully pulled back the covers and slipped into the tiny bed. Morgan didn’t stir, her body a dead weight as Pepper hugged her close.

She would sleep on her own tomorrow.

***

Rhodey showed up for lunch. He burst through the door, all smiles and teasing remarks for his niece. Pepper took advantage of his presence and spent an hour in her office. She finished a conference call before wandering to the front porch. They hadn’t had much snow this winter, but there was still enough for a halfway decent snowman.

He was there for over two hours, but when he left, Pepper could see the disappointment in Morgan’s eyes. Her entire life she had always had constant companionship. Tony had hardly left her side from the moment she was born. Pepper, while proud of the close relationship she had with her daughter, had been the one to leave for occasional work trips, to spend mornings on the phone and afternoons reviewing documents. While she mostly worked from home, she still worked. Tony could pack in most of his work for the R&D department during Morgan’s naps and a few late nights.

After lunch, Morgan settled in for her favorite indoor activities: legos and art. The house was earth shatteringly quiet. It was just the two of them. Pepper stood in the kitchen, cradling a mug of tea as she watched her daughter sitting alone. Suddenly, she couldn’t get the image of the spreadsheet, of that single line in the expense column, out of her head.

_Maybe we’re meant to be a family of three._

She was insane. This wasn’t normal. This was the grief talking. She couldn’t possibly be considering…not without Tony. He had been the one that wanted kids. Pepper had been perfectly content with just the two of them. And then she was happy with their singular child. It was only when he had asked…

She pictured his face that night. The way he couldn’t stop grinning. The way he had held her tightly in their bed, murmuring his thoughts on whether they would have a boy or a girl.

Pepper set down her mug and went to sit beside Morgan. She already had a baby to focus on; she shouldn’t let fantasies distract her.

***

Pepper kept being distracted. January was coming to a close and still her thoughts were consumed with babies. A girl, one just like Morgan or one that actually did look like Pepper as unlikely as that was. Morgan’s nursery had been a soft blue, maybe for this baby she would go with green or even a happy yellow. If it was a boy, she was sure he would turn out to be Tony 2.0 in looks but maybe her personality would shine in this child.

Her birthday was fast approaching, and she knew she needed to do something and she needed to do it quickly. She needed someone to burst the bubble, to tell her it was wrong to have a baby without Tony ever getting a chance to meet him or her. She got lucky and both Happy and Rhodey decided to make themselves present for an entire Saturday, the pair even staying after dinner to tag team for Morgan’s bedtime.

Pepper remained downstairs, already on her second glass of wine and wishing she and Tony hadn’t agreed to keep hard liquor out of the house. She paced the length of the living room, holding the glass close.

The clearing of a throat caught her attention. Her two friends were standing at the foot of the stairs awkwardly. Happy asked, “Are you okay?”

Pepper stopped pacing and let out a sigh. She gestured to the couch. “Both of you, sit.”

Exchanging a confused look with the other, both men obeyed. Pepper resumed her pacing, pausing to take the occasional sip. “I’ve had a terrible idea. Really, it’s awful. It’s insane that I’m even thinking about this. I don’t do crazy ideas.” She stopped, looking at them. “Tony had enough crazy for this family. I’m the steady rock. Now, it’s like my brain has decided I need to step up my game and do something crazy.”

“Well,” Jim started, “I can say Tony would probably appreciate that. He always did favor all forms of crazy.”

She shook her head. “I need you two to tell me what I’m thinking is insane. That it’s a bad idea and that I need to move on and just seek therapy or something. Even more than that, I need you to tell me that Tony would agree this isn’t something I should do.”

She stopped moving, falling into the armchair. She finished off the wine. Happy and Rhodey were both looking at her, a mix of confusion and just a touch of fear. Setting the empty wine glass on the table, she met their gaze. “A few weeks before…Tony and I decided we were going to try for another baby.”

As if they shared one brain, both men looked to the empty glass on the table. Pepper snapped her fingers to keep their attention. “I’m obviously not pregnant. But I could be.” She suddenly wished she had managed more than just two glasses. “I have four embryos on ice. One procedure and I could _possibly_ have that second baby we talked about.”

She let her words hang in the air for a minute. Both Rhodey and Happy were looking a bit dumbstruck; she was certain neither of them knew a thing about she and Tony’s plans. In a different world, they probably would have gotten every detail from their best friend. But when Morgan was born, Happy was their sole man for Stark Industries business and Rhodey was constantly in and out of the country as War Machine. Both of them had been busy and when they spent time with the Stark family, there wasn’t enough time or reason to include discussions about Pepper’s fertility.

“Now is the part where you tell me I’m crazy,” she insisted.

They didn’t respond. Happy had taken to staring at the fireplace, as if willing it to swallow him whole. Jim had a slight frown on his face, his gaze darting around as he thought over the situation.

“Oh my…one of you say something.”

Happy came back to life first. “Do you want to have a baby?”

Pepper blinked incredulously. “Seriously?”

“Yeah, is this something you really want?”

“That’s not… It’s not about what I want-”

Rhodey interrupted. “It’s absolutely about what you want. Pepper, if you want to do this, we fully support you.”

Happy nodded. “I can move in if you want help.”

“I can retire. I’ve done my duty, someone else can take over. I can move in too,” Rhodey added, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

Pepper felt light headed and not from the wine. “You can’t be serious,” she said weakly.

“If it’s about not doing this with Tony, we get it,” Happy said. “That’s something only you can decide. But if you want this, there’s no reason for you not to do it.”

“Happy and I can both say, without a shadow of a doubt, Tony would want you to do whatever the hell you wanted. You want to sell the company and live on a sailboat? Fantastic.”

Happy joined in. “Maybe you want to raise Morgan in a Tibetan temple, find enlightenment or something. We’ll make sure to visit. Hell, we’ll come with you.”

“The three of us knew Tony best. If you feel you can’t trust your judgement right now, okay. Trust ours. He would want you to do this if it’s what makes you happy.”

Pepper wiped at her eyes. “What if this is some insane coping mechanism for my grief?”

Rhodey shrugged. “Would that be so bad? More Starks in the world is always a good thing. Have you asked Morgan how she feels about a younger sibling?”

“Tony talked to her a few times. She was always…indifferent. I don’t think she fully understood what it meant. I can’t imagine how confused she’ll be if I do this now.”

“I think she’ll handle it better than you think,” Happy offered. “She’s smart. She’s going to follow your lead.”

“But a baby?” Pepper wrung her hands together. “Should I really be taking attention away from Morgan right now?”

“It’s not going to be an easy transition, but if anyone can do it, it’s you. And Morgan,” Rhodey told her. “You’re right to be scared. It could end up being a really difficult year. Or it could end being something that helps you and Morgan heal.”

Pepper was fairly certain therapy was a much saner option. But the image persisted. She took a steadying breath. “I couldn’t do this alone.”

“We,” Jim gestured to himself and Happy, “are here with you, one hundred percent. This place has enough room and if not, we can always remodel.”

Only these two men were devoted enough to the Stark family to be so willing to uproot their entire lives to help Pepper fulfill a final dream of Tony’s. She held her hands to her mouth, realization overwhelming her. “Oh my God,” she whispered, mostly to herself. “I’m doing this. I’m actually going to do this.”

***

While her two best friends immediately dove into deep discussion over living arrangements, who would retire entirely from their careers, and at one amusing point, who the baby would be named after, Pepper waited a few days before having what she considered the most important conversation of all: Morgan.

With her appointment with her doctor looming ever closer, she knew she had to get a read on her soon to be four year old daughter. Morgan was very much a typical only child. She expected all of the attention, all of the toys, and while she was a kind soul who enjoyed sharing, Pepper knew these traits didn’t necessarily pass over to sibling relationships.

She tried to fill the day with as much Morgan centric activity as she could manage, made her favorite dinner, and then settled at the kitchen table with another favorite: juice pops. Pepper indulged in one herself, hoping it would keep the conversation more relaxed.

“Do you remember a while back, Daddy talked to you about us having a baby?”

Eyes focused on the treat melting in her hands, Morgan shook her head. “Nope!”

Well, there went that approach. Pepper had imagined a dozen scenarios, agonizing over the best words to use, what was Morgan old enough to understand, what was too much for her to emotionally deal with...the list went on.

“That’s okay. Morgan, before Daddy passed away,” she still struggled saying that or any variation of that statement, “we decided we wanted to have another baby. That would mean you would have a brother or sister.”

Now Morgan was interested. She finished the final bites on the juice pop with her eyes cautiously watching Pepper. “Like someone to play with?”

“Yeah, once they got a little bigger, they’d be able to play games with you. But when a baby is first born they need a lot of attention. They also cry a lot and you have to be really careful around them.”

“I know,” Morgan announced, handing her mother the red stained stick. “I’ve seen it on shows and stuff.” She paused, looking thoughtful. “Princess Merida had three brothers. I’m not getting three, am I?”

God willing, no. Pepper smiled. “Probably just one. And I don’t know if it would be a boy or a girl.”

“We can’t choose?”

“Nope. That’s part of the fun. Do you like the idea of having a baby brother or sister?”

“I don’t know,” she answered with the raw honesty only a child could possess. “Where do we get a baby from?”

This part of the conversation Pepper had prepared the most for. She had even conditioned Morgan a little for it as well, having insisted on reading bedtime books that included a lot of examples of different families. “You know how families all look a little different? Sometimes a family is two moms, or maybe it’s two dads and one mom, sometimes there’s only one parent-”

Remembering the book Pepper was paraphrasing, Morgan chimed in, “Or one kid, or five kids, or all girls, or boys, or dogs...”

Laughing softly, Pepper reached out to wipe away a bit of dried juice from her cheek. “Exactly. Families are all different but the most important thing that makes a family is...”

“Love!”

“Perfect.”

Morgan wiggled in her booster seat. “And families change. Like us.”

“Yeah, we’re changing a lot, aren’t we?” She brought them back on track, her prepared explanation on reproduction catered to Morgan’s personality, age, and most of all, her attention span. “You don’t just get a baby. A baby has to be made by two people. Daddy left me everything I need to still make one.”

“Daddy can make anything,” Morgan told her wisely, as though she was worried Pepper had forgotten that important element of Tony Stark. She briefly wondered how long their daughter would refer to him in the present tense.

“Yes, he could. So, he left me everything I need. But it’s up to you and me to decide if we want to make this baby. I won’t do it if you don’t want me to. A lot has already changed around here, and a baby would mean more of that.”

Morgan was now frowning. “Like what?”

“Well, first, the baby has to grow inside of me.”

“What? Where?”

Pepper pressed a hand to her stomach. “Here. Same place I grew you. It’s not easy making a human, you know. He or she would have to stay in there for almost an entire year. That means for a while I wouldn’t be able to do certain things, and I would need to rest a lot too.” Bed rest was probably inevitable at this point and she needed Morgan to be prepared. “Then, when the baby is born, they will need a lot of my attention. They’re going to be held a lot, and fed, and changed. There will be dirty diapers and a lot of crying.”

“I don’t like that.”

“That’s okay to feel that way. But we wouldn’t do it alone.” She smiled. “Uncle Rhodey and Happy would be here all the time. They’d help make sure everyone was taken care of and that you still get to do lots of fun things.”

Her eyes lit up at that. “They’d be here _all_ the time?”

Since neither man had finalized their plans, Pepper didn’t want to promise Morgan anything specific. She simply nodded. “And when the baby gets a little bigger, you’ll get to teach them stuff.”

“Like how to build a robot? I’m still working on it, but Uncle Rhodey says it’s going to be better than Daddy’s.”

That was the statement that threatened tears behind Pepper’s eyes. “Yeah, sweetie, you could teach them that. Now, do you have anymore questions?”

Morgan, her attention waning, shook her head.

Pepper prodded, “Are you sure? Remember, this a decision we’re making together.”

“Yes, Mommy,” she practically sighed. Some days it felt like she was turning fourteen, not four. “Can I play some more?”

“We’re brushing teeth in ten minutes, not a second later, okay?”

And then she was off to her corner of the living room, her toys awaiting her.

Pepper felt that couldn’t have gone much better. She could hear Tony, singing her praises: _That’s my girl. She’s brilliant, Pepper, absolutely brilliant._

At Morgan’s age, she wasn’t truly going to understand how much was changing until it actually happened. But she was resilient. If Pepper was truly honest, Morgan was handling Tony’s death better than anyone. Some days, she wondered if maybe children understood more than adults. Or maybe ignorance really was bliss.

***

A week before her major birthday, Pepper was in the city for her doctor’s appointment. Morgan was at Stark Industries, ensconced safely in Happy’s office with a backpack full of goodies and the Asset Manager/Head of Security’s unwavering attention. She had had a brief phone conversation with Dr. Simmons so that her long time OB/GYN was prepared for the appointment, but the words exchanged were brief.

She was exactly on time for her appointment and a nurse almost immediately herded her into an exam room where blood was drawn and vitals recorded. Dr. Simmons breezed in minutes later, a tablet in hand. “Hi, Pepper, how are you?”

“As well as can be expected.” She paused. “I told you on the phone why I’m here.”

There was a reason Elise Simmons was Pepper’s doctor. If Pepper had to describe the woman in a few words, they would include: discreet and entirely judgement free. She was prepared for the appointment to involve minimal prodding and a lot of information giving.

“And I immediately had a conversation with Dr. Watts,” she said, referring to the fertility specialist she and Tony had used. “Baring anything unusual in your bloodwork, there’s no reason we can’t get started immediately.” Her eyes glanced to the screen. “Your blood pressure is amazing, you know, whatever you’re doing keep it up.”

Frankly, Pepper was amazed it was anywhere near healthy levels considering her life in recent months. Dr. Simmons devoted a solid twenty minutes to reviewing the entire process, from the medications to the implantation procedure.

“Pepper, you know this isn’t a guarantee?”

“I am very much aware of that, yes,” Pepper answered firmly.

“On the other end, there is always a higher risk of multiples, and from that can come a higher risk of additional complications.”

“While I appreciate your honesty and concern, there is nothing you can tell me that I’m not already aware of. This isn’t something I’m doing on a whim. I can’t say that grief isn’t playing a role...but this was something Tony and I were planning to do. We made the decision and I’m sticking to it.”

“Okay.” The doctor smiled. “I put a rush on your labs, so we should get those in a day or two. If it pans out, we can get you started on the treatments by the end of the week.”

Pepper was officially feeling the weight of her decision as she left the office. It was real and it was happening. She tried not to invest herself too heavily; the doctor was right, there were no promises in this. For all she knew, the lab work could show she was not physically able to do this. Maybe in the years since carrying Morgan, her uterus had turned hostile, closed up shop without notice. Until there was a living, screaming newborn in her arms, she had to be realistic.

Morgan barely noticed her mother enter Happy’s office. The girl was engrossed in her tablet, an interactive story book unfolding in vivid colors. Pepper kissed the top of her head before sitting beside her on the sofa. Happy was looking at her expectantly. “Well?”

“We have to wait for the blood tests to come back, but she seemed pretty hopeful.”

He grinned. “That’s great news.”

“I’m not celebrating yet,” she warned.

Happy was about to respond when his phone chimed. He looked to the device and grimaced, fingers flying into a response.

“That’s a face,” Pepper noted, her hand absentmindedly playing with Morgan’s hair.

He sighed. “It’s May Parker. Pete’s...kind of coping?”

Pepper felt a twinge of guilt. She hadn’t had the Parkers out to the lake since Christmas. She and May spoke every few weeks, but their talks were usually centered around their biggest shared trait: being widows. Pepper would ask after Peter but May always brushed it off, saying he just needed time, before turning the conversation back to Pepper and Morgan.

“I know he has most of his close friends still.” She blinked. “I mean, they were snapped as well so he didn’t reappear and find they’ve all gone to college without him. He’s doing okay in school, isn’t he?”

“I guess. I took him to dinner the other night but he’s pretty tight lipped. May says she’s not worried about him yet but that could change. He’s fifteen, and with a hero complex that makes Tony look mentally stable.”

“Ooh, don’t tell May that. Peter already takes after Tony enough.”

Happy smiled, setting the phone down finally. “May is very proud of that. She says Peter keeps that photo you gave him in his room, right on his desk.”

The very photo she had caught Tony staring at on many a late night was now keeping someone else company. She had gifted it to Peter on a whim, a few days after the funeral when the teen had discovered it in the kitchen, right beside Tony’s favorite photo of himself and Howard. Peter tried to refuse it but Pepper was adamant: it belonged to Peter.

Wanting a more positive topic, Pepper decided to point out something she knew would have her friend blushing. “It sounds like you and May are talking a lot.”

Happy missed the underlying meaning. He sighed. “Tony wanted me to look out for the kid, and now I really have to look out for him. I never knew how much May talked to Tony. She checks in _all_ the time.”

May and Tony did have fairly regular contact in regards to both Spider-Man and Peter Parker. But Pepper had a feeling May was more keen to stay in touch with Happy. She wondered how long it would take the former body guard to notice. She was also now wondering how Happy was going to manage his job, his Spider-Man babysitting, and his promises to help with the baby. It wasn’t that she was worried Happy wouldn’t be there; it was the concern that the new baby would potentially take any attention away from Peter. That was as worrisome as Morgan feeling neglected.

***

On her fiftieth birthday, Pepper learned how to give herself a shot.

It wasn’t as difficult as she thought. If anything, it was simply emotional because the last time she had needed them, Tony had been insistent on doing it. He claimed he wanted more involvement than “spanking into a cup” (his words, definitely not hers). Dr. Simmons and Dr. Watts had assured her she would manage the shots on her own with no problems, but they didn’t hesitate to suggest she have someone around just in case. Pepper was not about to discuss the finer points of fertility treatments with Happy or Rhodey. Times like these, she wished she still had girlfriends.

The day was filled with phone calls, emails, and video chats from everyone she knew and a lot of people she didn’t. Happy had spent the night, waking with Morgan so Pepper would have a rare morning in bed.

She hated it. She hated the vastness of the room designed for two. She hated the way she tried to fall asleep in the middle of the bed but always woke up on her side, a constant reminder that the bed was meant to be shared. She stared at the dresser where a photo of Tony and baby Morgan beamed up at her, his wedding ring and favorite watch resting in front of it. She glared at the closet door, knowing she needed to finish packing up his clothes (she had managed about half during a brave New Year’s resolution fueled afternoon).

All of this and she was prepping her body for a possible baby that Tony would never meet. Self doubt creeped in. She curled herself around Tony’s pillow, willing away the tears. She was so done with crying.

A knock on the door distracted her. “Come in,” she called, expecting Happy considering Morgan never knocked.

Jim stepped into the room. “Hey, birthday girl.”

Pepper lazily lifted her head. “You’re early.”

“That’s all you have to say to me? Make some room.”

She did as asked, migrating towards Tony’s side of the bed so her friend could recline on top of the covers beside her. “When was the last time you stayed in bed this late?”

Pepper thought back. “Day after Christmas. May forbid me from moving for twenty-four hours. She said it was a key element of proper grieving.”

“Does it help?”

“I’ll let you know.”

He managed a smile. “Morgan currently has Happy wearing a pink, light-up tiara. Don’t worry, I took many, many pictures.”

“He secretly loves it.”

“One day, we’ll get him to admit it.” Rhodey was quiet for a moment. “It seems ridiculous to ask you how you are.”

“I could say the same to you. If there’s one thing we can all agree to, it’s that we’re certainly in this together. Tony imprinted on all of us.”

He chuckled. “Imprinted. That’s a good word. I always thought he was collecting us, you know? Added a new one every decade or so until he was settled.”

“You, Happy, me, Peter...actually, you’re right about that.” Pepper felt her lips turn upward slightly. “That man.”

“Listen,” Jim started, “I filed the paperwork today.”

Pepper sat up. “Paperwork for what?”

“At the end of the month, I will officially be Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes, retired.”

Her mouth fell open. “Rhodey...”

“No, no, it’s done. Honestly, it should have been done a long time ago. The suit was, and still is, my personal property but I’ve promised it will be passed on to someone new. Eventually,” he added. “It wasn’t hard to convince them. Tony was the only one who could build and repair it really.”

She ran a hand through her hair. “Please tell me this isn’t about me.”

“Fine. It’s not about you.”

Pepper glared at him and he rolled his eyes. “It’s not just about you. It’s about me settling down for once. I’m not stepping away from the Avengers completely, they’ll still be getting my token words of wisdom whether they like it or not. I’d like to get into training some of the new blood coming in. I’m doing what I want, and what I want is to be spending more time with my favorite niece. And any potential siblings she may have.”

“I didn’t think you were serious about the moving in,” she admitted. “I mean, for a little while, yes, but this sounds permanent.”

“I don’t want to seem like I’m inviting myself, but yes I was - _am_ \- absolutely serious about moving in.” Jim grabbed her hand. “This is what family does, Pepper.”

There was no stopping the tears. “Damn it,” she hissed, wiping at her cheeks. “Isn’t there a limit to how much one person can cry? And it’s going to get worse,” she groaned, her head falling onto Jim’s shoulder.

He waited a minute for her to get herself together. “Happy says the doctor’s visit went well.”

“I had my first injection this morning. The procedure for implantation is in two weeks.”

“You need me here for that?”

“I was actually planning to ask you about that. I was going to have Happy stay with Morgan. Would you be willing to come with me?”

“Of course.”

“You can get away?”

He gave her a smirk. “I already filed the paperwork. And after all I have done, what are they really going to do to me?” He paused, shifting to a more comfortable position without jostling her too much. “How exactly does this work anyways?”

She smiled into his shoulder. “We already went through extraction and fertilization. I don’t know what was more fun, the shots or the pride in Tony’s face when the doctor told him how virile his sperm was.”

Jim snorted. “He considered it a great achievement that he knocked you up so fast with Morgan.”

“God, he was insufferable about that. So, the procedure is supposed to be pretty straightforward, no anesthesia needed, but I may be a little uncomfortable afterwards.”

“Ice cream and movies, got it.”

She smiled. “Thanks, Rhodey.”

Pepper was suddenly feeling a lot better. It carried on through the day. She had a video call with May and Peter (Morgan ultimately starred in that interaction), and dinner was prepared by Happy who truly missed his calling in the world of culinary arts. For dessert, Morgan very proudly unveiled a chocolate cake she decorated herself with red and gold frosting, proclaiming “it’s how Daddy would have done it”. None of the adults could disagree that the mass of sugar wasn’t Tony-esque.

She fell asleep that night feeling more confident in her decision. There was still a Tony sized hole in their world, but maybe they could learn to grow around it.

***

Morgan’s birthday landed almost two weeks exactly after the procedure. And just a few days before Pepper’s appointment where she would hopefully learn whether it had been a success. There was a lot of expectation in the air, the mood permeating the house for a full week leading up to the day.

It should be the thrill of her baby turning four. Instead, it was the first birthday without Tony. Pepper had certainly been bothered by his absence on her own birthday but it was different. It had taken that man more than ten years just to remember her birthday. Not celebrating with him didn’t hit very high on the sadness scale. But for Morgan...

It had only taken the girl a few short months to accept that her father was well and truly gone. There had, however, been a tear filled explanation about what Santa Claus could and could not do, and Pepper (and by extension, Rhodey and Happy) was terrified that the magic of the birthday wish would also be brought up.

Tony had thrived on that bit of childhood wonder. Being a genius raised by another genius, he had confidently pushed aside silly ideas like Santa and birthday wishes by the time he was building circuit boards. Which was around age three. So when Morgan came into the world, he had been determined that his little girl would not suffer the same fate, her IQ unrelated. Christmas was going to be magical, lady bugs brought good luck, and yes, birthday wishes absolutely counted.

It had been a favorite Dadism that Pepper loved seeing on her husband. Everything was magic because anything less wasn’t good enough for his precious baby girl.

But if the magic came from Tony, where was it supposed to come from now that he was gone?

She brought it up with May who had been a Godsend during the Christmas meltdown. “Peter was six when his parents died. He also asked Santa to bring them back. But I don’t remember any birthday wish debacles. Richard and Mary died shortly after his birthday though, so it may have been that by the time the next birthday came around-”

“He had already accepted it.” Pepper sighed. “She’s doing so well. She doesn’t cry or ask for him, but she does bring him up. I took her to the psychologist again.”

“How did it go?”

“She says Morgan is perfectly well adjusted, that she appears to still have moments of sadness and grief but in all, she’s doing better than most kids. I wish I could say the same for me.”

May sighed through the phone. “She’s surrounded by people who love her and all knew her dad. In a way, that probably keeps him alive for her. Does that sound crazy?”

“Actually it makes more sense than anything that psychologist said.”

Pepper pulled a parenting move she knew would probably only fly for a few more years. Maybe. Morgan’s birthday landed on a Thursday, but the girl’s only requests for her special day had been Happy’s cheeseburgers, Uncle Rhodey’s stories, and above all, she wanted to see Spider-Man/Big Brother Peter climb the walls. The first two were easy, but the last would involve said Spider child to miss school. Pepper and May both vetoed that.

So as far as Miss Morgan was concerned, her birthday was on Saturday.

Rhodey, officially retired from the Air Force, had arrived on her actual birthday. He declared it to be a day for Pepper. “You did all the work that day,” he insisted. “Tony was on the verge of a meltdown the entire time. I was worried I would have to step in and take his place.”

“Honestly, the thought had crossed my mind. I spent a good twenty minutes debating between you and Happy,” she teased, both of them knowing it wasn’t true. Happy had taken one look at Pepper suffering through a contraction and declared he would be in the waiting room until there was an actual baby for him to meet.

Jim stopped at Stark Industries to pick up a haul of fan mail. Pepper had a team of interns in charge of weeding through the pounds of letters and gifts the world sent to the fallen Iron Man. There was always a great deal of items addressed to Pepper or “Mrs. Iron Man”, as well as for the infamous “Iron Baby” whose name had never been publicly released.

They waited until Morgan went to sleep before camping in the living room with the boxes. She was still taken aback by the sheer quantity they received each day. It warmed her heart to know the world knew Tony and the positive legacy he left behind, but it still hurt. Tony loved fan mail. From the very start of his superhero days, he made a point to save as many drawings and thank you cards as could - all from young children. If Pepper hadn’t stepped in, there would likely be an entire floor at Stark Industries, filled to the ceiling with paper and gifts.

“This is a good one,” Rhodey started, “ _Dear Mrs. Stark, I am six years old. My dad got vanished when I was just a baby. I am very happy he is back. I am sorry Iron Man didn’t live but I want to say thank you because he and Black Widow brought my dad back. Mom and Dad say I’m getting a baby brother or sister. They want to name it Anthony if it’s a boy. If it’s a girl, they want to name her Natasha. Do you think Iron Man and Black Widow would be okay with that? Thank you. From, Katie._ ”

The former pilot set the letter down. “How many Anthonys and Natashas do you think are being born this year?”

“I’m picturing Tony and Nat looking at a giant, heavenly scoreboard, arguing over who is winning.” Pepper set aside a colorful smear of markers that were apparently the Avengers. “Remind me to look it up next year so we can see who won.”

She picked up a rather well drawn image of Iron Man and Black Widow. “Thank you” was written in red capital letters at the bottom, along with “Simon, Age 9”. That was definitely going on social media. She placed it in the pile that would go to their PR department for a public thank you. These days, that was her only interaction with the general public.

“ _Baby Stark, I also lost my dad when I was little. It’s really hard but you’ll be okay. I promise. Skittles always make me feel better. Just don’t eat too many or you’ll get sick._ ” Rhodey chuckled, tossing Pepper the package of candy. “Are you going to show any to Morgan?”

“Maybe a few. I don’t really want her to know just how many of these she gets. Pretty soon she’ll be starting school and then she’ll see just how famous she is.”

“When do you think you’ll start her in school? I know preschool was discussed before...”

“Yeah,” Pepper sighed, pushing away her pile. “That went out the window, of course. Honestly, it depends on what Monday’s results are. And then possibly the next nine to ten months.”

“I’ll ask then.”

“Good call.”

They hid away the fan mail in the garage and called it a night. Saturday arrived quickly, the preparations for the day enough to distract her from Monday’s impeding news. Happy drove May and Peter up from the city, the group arriving just before noon.

Morgan made a beeline for her favorite superhero. “Peter! Peter! Peter! It’s my birthday!”

The teenager was just as excited, handing over a large box wrapped in metallic purple wrapping paper. “I know! That’s why I brought this!”

Despite the thawing Spring temperatures, the kids were insistent on playing outside. Confident that Peter wouldn’t let Morgan talk him into anything dangerous, the adults congregated inside. May handed Pepper a tin package. “Lemon cookies,” she explained. “Not baked by me, don’t worry. Our new neighbor stress bakes and she’s amazing. I’ve gained ten pounds since moving in, no joke. I was going to get you wine but you have finer tastes than I,” she teased.

Pepper was extremely grateful the woman hadn’t brought wine. “Thank you, this is sweet. Morgan was really set on having Peter visit. She’s been holding a grudge that they haven’t been together since Christmas.”

“Peter adores her. He had me frame that photo of them in their matching pajamas. It’s now right next to the one of him and Tony.” Rhodey had gifted the children Iron Man pajamas for Christmas. Pepper had a feeling they would be making an appearance again.

The men were arguing in the kitchen. Happy was giving Jim a lecture it seemed. “I said, ‘don’t touch the burgers, they need to set’ and what did you do?”

“I just pulled them out two minutes ago. They’re fine.”

“I said don’t touch them and you touch them. This is Wagyu. I ground it myself, using my own personal seasoning blend. They were going to be perfect and now you’ve disturbed them. You have upset the process and ruined the meal.”

“You’re overreacting, man.”

“Don’t tell me I’m overreacting. Morgan wanted my cheeseburgers. They won’t cook right if they don’t go on the cook top at the exact temperature.”

“Cooktop? You’re not grilling them?”

Happy’s eyes bulged. “My cheeseburgers. Not Uncle Rhodey’s, but Happy’s. Out of my kitchen, Rhodes.”

Pepper cleared her throat. “Happy, we appreciate the thought but remember this is _Tony’s_ child. She appreciates Whoppers just as much as the Wagyu.”

“She asked for _my_ special burgers, Pepper.”

May rested a hand on Pepper’s arm. “How much time do you spend with them?”

“Too much,” she answered, turning away from the men.

They stood at the front windows, watching Morgan boss Peter around her play area. The teen was bent over, barely fitting in the tent. “He’s so good with her,” Pepper said, hoping May could hear her gratitude.

“He feels connected to her. And probably more than a little responsible. Tony looked out for him, now he wants to repay the favor.”

“Peter should be focused on school and small time crime.”

“I’d tell you to tell him that but we all know he wouldn’t listen.”

Pepper chewed on her bottom lip, considering the woman beside her. May was probably the closest female friend she had, and she was also someone who could genuinely empathize. “After Ben...did you find yourself making some, I don’t know, crazy decisions in your grief?”

May looked away from the kids, an eyebrow raised. “Crazy?”

“Things that felt a little out of character maybe?”

The woman slid an arm through Pepper’s. “Okay, this is a conversation to be had as far away from my super-hearing nephew as possible.”

Neither Happy nor Rhodey noticed the women leaving, both having moved on to a massive debate over how the potatoes were going to be cut into fries. Pepper lead May to the very end of the house where her office was situated. She closed the door behind them, the pair settling into the small love seat.

“Four months after Ben died,” May began, “Peter was staying the night at Ned’s for the first time since. I used it as a chance to finally get drunk and cry as loud as I wanted.”

“That sounds cathartic.”

“It probably would have been,” she reasoned. “I managed to get drunk but before the crying could commence someone knocked on the door. It was my then neighbor’s boyfriend. My neighbor’s, very attractive, very young boyfriend.”

Pepper’s eyes widened. “You didn’t.”

May nodded, the faintest tinge of shame glossing her face. “Right there in the living room. Poor guy had forgotten his key, and was hoping I could tell him which floor the super lived on. He didn’t expect to be jumped by a grieving widow.”

“Somehow I don’t think he was complaining very much.”

May smiled a little deviously. “No, he was not. But, anyways, the answer to your question is yes, we all go a little whacky sometimes. I’ll have you know there has been no inappropriate sex since.” Her eyes gleamed. “Even when Tony showed up on my doorstep two months later.”

That made Pepper laugh. “That was before the Germany disaster, right? You know we were on a break then.”

May’s eyes widened. “And I missed my shot? Damn it.”

They both laughed for a good minute, leaving Pepper feeling much more relaxed. She caught her breath before dropping the bomb. “On Monday I have an appointment to find out if I’m pregnant.”

“Oh God, you didn’t sleep with the neighbor’s boyfriend too?”

“No.” She shook her head. “After Morgan, Tony and I had a sort of...back-up plan in case we wanted more kids.”

May’s face softened. “IVF, huh? Good for you.”

“Is it?” Pepper questioned, wringing her hands. “It seems like every hour I feel differently about it. I didn’t even want kids. Then Tony decided he wanted one. Then he decided he wanted a second one.”

“Who would have thought, Tony Stark, collecting kids like baseball cards.”

“He made a joke about having twins and I’m pretty sure he was at least partly hoping it would be true.”

“Ignoring everything else in your life, in the world really, do you want to have a baby?”

“A little late now, isn’t it?”

May shrugged. “We’re just talking about how you feel.”

Pepper leaned back into the cushions. She didn’t have to think about her answer. It was yes. The same way it was yes when Tony came back from space, asking if they could try. The same yes she gave only months ago when he suggested they start trying for another. When it came to Tony, it was always yes, whether he was here or not.

“Peter and I are here for you, Pepper.”

She focused back on her friend. “Don’t say anything to him. I’m not sure if there is anything to say yet.”

“Of course. Now, come on, let’s make sure those wonderful men out there haven’t abandoned lunch in favor of beating the crap out of each other.”

The burgers turned out perfect, much to Happy’s pleasure. Morgan was on cloud nine all day, dragging Peter around and not relinquishing her grip for even a minute. There were gifts from the obvious people but also presents from people Morgan only knew of. Cards from world leaders (May’s eyes had gone wide at the hand written note from the Queen of England) who were connected enough to know the exact birth date of the Stark heir, and extremely thoughtful items from those that knew Tony personally.

The Barton family had sent a detailed card lovingly made by Lila Barton who had apparently taken up all manner of crafting. The card accompanied a long package containing a bow and three rubber tipped arrows. Pepper handed the toy to Rhodey, stating that was a gift that would require adult supervision, rubber tips notwithstanding.

A beautiful, hand carved wooden horse that fit perfectly in Morgan’s palm was gifted by none other than Bucky Barnes. Both Pepper and Jim had raised an eyebrow at that, wondering if wood working was a hobby of the former assassin.

Cards, stuffed animals, small trinkets, clever toys, the list went on and the surprises kept coming. Stephen Strange, a man who Pepper had shared maybe twenty words with, had sent a wooden box filled with small puzzle games.

From the royal family of Wakanda, came a metal device about the circumference of a CD and a few inches thick. Peter was seated beside Morgan at the time of opening and his eyes went wide. “I think I know what this is,” he muttered, reverently running his fingers along its edge. “Save that for later, Morgan, and I’ll see about getting it working for you.”

From Thor, a man Pepper thought that no one had heard from since the battle, a strange blue crystal that made everyone hesitate. Rhodey carefully opened the scroll of parchment nestled beside it. He sighed in relief. “It’s fine. It’s from a planet called Lassius and this is basically an alien dream catcher.” His eyes scanned the note again. “It inspires creative, positive dreams. We may want to be careful with this one, kid.”

“That’s very thoughtful of Thor,” May said carefully.

It was over an hour of gift opening and Pepper was now concerned this would be a yearly problem. Christmas had happened so quickly after the battle that only a handful of friends had sent gifts. It seems no one was going to let that happen again.

Bruce had been one of the few who had remembered Christmas. He had personally delivered a homemade science kit he had curated himself with Morgan in mind. His birthday gift was a box of new supplies and suggestions for new experiments. Pepper pointedly reminded Jim and Peter that they were in charge of the science now.

Dinner time was rapidly approaching and with the coming darkness, Happy and the Parkers needed to begin the drive back to Queens. Peter hadn’t forgotten Morgan’s Wakandan gift however. He gathered everyone in the living room, sitting cross legged on the floor with Morgan.

“Shuri and I chat online sometimes and she mentioned a project she was working on. I’ll talk to her and find out more but you’re going to like this, Mo. FRIDAY, can you dim the lights, please?”

Pepper sat on the couch between Rhodey and May, watching as Peter fiddled with the device. He quickly set it down between him and Morgan, a soft light released upwards. And then suddenly, there was Tony.

Her breath caught as she looked at the incredibly detailed hologram. It wasn’t like the final message Tony had left them with its dull coloring and metallic sound. This was so real. He wasn’t entirely solid, a slight opacity just enough to remind them it was a hologram, but only just.

_“I don’t do it because it’s a good time or because I’m showing off. Believe it or not, I’m doing it because it’s just the right thing to do.”_

He was young, his hair longer, his eyes a little less tired. It took Pepper a moment to pinpoint where it came from. “This was an interview he did a few months after he became Iron Man.”

Holo Tony laughed suddenly. They couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, just Tony. _“Maybe I do just like the suit. So what?”_

Pepper tore her eyes away from the image to look at Morgan. Their daughter was staring up, lips parted slightly. Her expression was unreadable, a bizarre state for Pepper to witness. Morgan didn’t look precisely happy but she also didn’t seem sad. Maybe curious, possibly a little confused.

The hologram faded out only to be replaced by another one, this one even more jarring. “Wow,” she breathed, leaning forward.

Beside her, Rhodey was also letting out a surprised gasp.

This hologram was much younger. He was sitting in a chair, wearing a cocky smirk and designer sunglasses that was classic Tony Stark. When he spoke his voice reflected the youth they saw, his words confirming it.

 _“I’m thirty-one now, it’s been ten years, I think we can agree I’m doing an okay job, right?”_ Pause for a laugh, that smirk never wavering. _“Stark has never been better and we’re going to keep getting better. Write that down, that was good.”_ The hologram turned his head, the smirk transforming into a more genuine smile. _“I am!”_ He defended to someone off camera. He quickly glanced back to what must’ve been the interviewer for a brief second before turning back. _“You never said that, I promise...I’ll make it up to you later...”_ Another laugh. _“Potts, you made me do this...”_ He turned back to fully face the invisible interviewer, still grinning widely. _“That’s Pepper, she runs my life now...Yeah, with her in charge it can only go up, I’m telling you. I’m supposed to talk to you about the clean water charity. If I don’t, she’s going to ground me and then no one is happy, believe me.”_

The image of light faded and Peter tapped at a switch on the device. The teen cleared his throat. “Lights, FRIDAY.”

No one spoke for a moment, still absorbing what they saw. Morgan was inspecting the device carefully under Peter’s watchful gaze. She looked to her mother. “That was Daddy when he was younger?”

Pepper nodded, still a bit stunned. “Much younger. That was about...twenty-three years ago. A little more than a year after I met him.”

“And you were already ‘running his life’,” Jim commented, looking at her thoughtfully.

“Well, someone had to.” She looked back to Morgan. “Dad struggled with basic responsibilities like remembering to eat and sleep.”

Peter placed the device on the coffee table. “I’m pretty sure you can use any video so long as the quality is decent. She probably preloaded a bunch of interviews she found online. I could probably pull some stuff from FRIDAY.”

Pepper smiled at him. “Thank you, Peter, I’d really appreciate that. We, would appreciate that,” she amended, looking at her daughter.

After the house was quiet, with Happy and the Parkers back in the city, and Rhodey settling in for late night television in the living room, Pepper carried Morgan into the master bedroom. “How about we have a sleep over tonight?”

With favorite stuffed animals and blankets mounded onto Tony’s side of the bed, Morgan settled against her mother. “Did you have a good birthday?”

“Yeah. I’m really happy Peter and Aunt May came.”

“They were really happy to be invited, I think.”

Thinking her daughter was minutes away from sleep, Pepper turned off the light, preparing herself for what would probably be hours of a tiny body moving and kicking. Another Tony trait that had taken about three years of dating and bed sharing to really stomp out.

Morgan wasn’t falling asleep though. Her voice, soft and barely above a whisper, rang through the bedroom. “I miss Daddy.”

Pepper pulled her closer. “I think we’re always going to miss him. That’s okay.”

“I was going to use my birthday wish to ask for him back. But I remember what everyone said when I asked Santa that.”

Pepper held her breath, giving her daughter space to share her feelings.

“So I didn’t. Then I couldn’t think of anything to wish for. I messed it up. I didn’t wish for anything.”

Sensing tears on the horizon, Pepper kissed her forehead. “You didn’t mess anything up. I didn’t wish for anything on my birthday either.”

“You didn’t?” Morgan’s voice was less shaky now.

“Nope. I have you. I don’t need to wish for anything else.”

It felt like a lie. She knew she was just reassuring her four year old, but it felt sour. Because Pepper had plenty to wish for. The top of the list being the very thing Morgan wanted to wish for. For Tony to be laying beside them, smiling and very much alive.

_I’d grant all of your wishes if I could, honey, you know I would._

The room was too dark for her to see the framed image, but she fell asleep like she did most nights: staring at Tony’s photo.

***

When she and Morgan traveled to the city, they went straight to the penthouse apartment that had once been her and Tony’s home. Following the Snap and Tony’s recovery at the Compound, returning to the apartment felt wrong. They had stayed a mere four months before Tony had come to her one night with photos of a lakeside home. Four bedrooms plus an office. It was only half finished so they could still customize it to their liking. They bought it on the spot.

The apartment remained and they did spend some time there when Stark Industries truly needed Pepper’s physical presence. There was even a room set up for Morgan though the child had only spent a handful of nights there. The space felt too large, too luxurious, a monument to the life they had lived long ago.

There had been brief discussions about what to do when Morgan reached school age. Homeschooling sounded ideal but they knew their daughter would need more social interaction. The vague, barely discussed plan had been that the apartment would be renovated to better fit their new tastes and they would move back. The lake house would become their weekend home and a retreat during the holidays.

Now, that plan was burning in the back of Pepper’s mind. There was no way she would move Morgan to a new home and bring a new baby into the world. Gripping her phone tightly, she breathed deeply. One step at a time.

The building was exactly one block away from the current Stark Industries building. It was close enough for convenience but far enough away to ward off reminders of the Stark and Avenger Tower disasters. The convenience of it all was brought to her attention when Happy easily escaped the office to sit with Morgan while Pepper went to get her blood drawn.

Dr. Simmons had assured her she would get her results back within twenty-four hours. Pepper pushed aside her anxiety and settled in for a day with Morgan in the city, something that was a complicated endeavor.

Pepper wasn’t nearly as recognizable as Tony. At least outside of the business world. People would acknowledge that they knew her from somewhere but unless they existed inside that business sphere of New York, they brushed it off. Between that and her own defensive skills, she had never needed a day-to-day body guard.

After Tony’s lost fight with Thanos, the only time Pepper ever saw him reach for his nanotechnology housing unit was for brief training sessions, and of course, when they took Morgan out. That was the only time the suit left their property. As for the rare occasions she had taken Morgan out herself, well, she was fairly certain Tony was still watching from afar, fully prepared to deploy the armor and likely an entire Iron Legion.

But now, in this new life, she had to weigh the risks. She pulled out the seldom used rubber bracelet Tony had designed for their small daughter. It was a panic button, a tracker, and sent a constant stream of data on Morgan’s well-being to their smart phones.

“Remember, you don’t go more than a few steps away from Mommy. There are a lot more people living here now, so it’s easy to get lost.”

More people was an understatement. Following the first Snap, many people flocked to the major cities in hopes of finding work and new lives. With the Returned wanting to settle back into life, New York was one of many cities facing a population problem. Pepper carried Morgan through the crowded streets, thankful the girl was still small enough for such a task.

Once inside their favorite science museum, she relaxed a bit. It was a Monday so it wasn’t too crowded. She even allowed Morgan a little more freedom, letting her race around the kid’s exploration zone with other children. She watched closely as her daughter shared laughs and toys with others. Pepper was no longer distracted; the test weighed heavily on her mind.

After lunch, Morgan insisted on visiting the park. Elementary schools were releasing at this time and the crowds quickly grew, taking Pepper’s anxiety with it. She lasted an hour before sending an important text message, a gentle request for an extra pair of eyes. And Spidey senses.

Peter showed up far too quickly. Pepper narrowed her eyes as the teen, slightly out of breath, sat down on the bench beside her, his eyes scanning the play structure for Morgan.

“I said to come by when school let out.”

“Yeah, I just swung really fast.”

“Uh-huh,” Pepper hummed. “Peter, honey, I know what time Midtown lets out.”

He smiled sheepishly. “Does it help if I tell you I’m only missing English?”

“I won’t tell May, but only if you promise not to do this again.”

“You said you wanted help!”

“Not at the expense of your education.” She sighed, gesturing forward. “Go and surprise her.”

Upon seeing her pseudo big brother, Morgan screamed and leapt into Peter’s arms. Pepper couldn’t help but picture a toddler chasing after them. Maybe a little boy that would idolize Peter and terrorize Morgan.

The threesome ended up having dinner together and by the time Pepper was pulling into their driveway later that evening, Morgan was asleep in her car seat. She carried her into the house, not bothering to wake her to change into pajamas or brush teeth. Pepper turned on the night light, and left her daughter to her dreams.

Downstairs, she picked up her phone, planning to check in with Jim who was at the Compound. She had a voicemail from Dr. Simmons. It was short, informing her to call right away, that the doctor would be available until nine. Pepper didn’t hesitate to make the call.

_“Pepper, sorry for the lateness of hour but I thought you’d want to know right away.”_

“I do, yes, absolutely.” She sank into a kitchen chair, anxiously running a hand through her hair.

_“Congratulations, Pepper, you’re pregnant!”_


	2. Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, folks! Part Two! I hope this is the ideal bittersweet ending for the Stark family.

Pepper couldn’t tell who was more excited: Happy or Rhodey.

She had elected not to tell anyone else yet, including Morgan. Despite Dr. Simmons assuring her that she was still perfectly healthy and that there was only the average risk of complications, Pepper was very mindful of her age and that this was a geriatric pregnancy (who invented that horrible term?).

Her friends sensed her hesitation and she carefully told them, “First trimester. I want to get through the first trimester. Then you can obsess over baby clothes and nursery colors, okay?”

Apparently asking them to wait three months was too high of a request because by the end of the week, she had caught Happy reading _What to Expect When You’re Expecting_ and Rhodey browsing toddler toys.

“You didn’t prepare this much for Morgan,” she pointed out one night.

Happy explained, “We didn’t have to be. Tony had it all covered. That man had downloaded every parenting book under the sun before the first ultrasound. Speaking of, when is the first ultrasound?”

“Neither of you are invited. At least not to the first few. I’ll bring you pictures, though.”

The first ultrasound had involved more tears, of course, but whatever reason her subconscious had cooked up and decided not to share with her thoughts, Pepper knew she needed to do it alone. Perhaps it was an achievement of sorts, a way to prove she could handle being a single mother to two children. Dr. Simmons did it herself rather than bringing in the technician. She didn’t speak much, allowing Pepper ample time to absorb the gravity of it all and the overwhelming emotions triggered by that whooshing heartbeat. She made sure to request extra copies of the images for the two neurotic uncles.

The weeks passed monotonously. Unlike with Morgan, she had no morning sickness. As she entered week five, she started to notice falling asleep was becoming easier, her body growing unusually fatigued after her morning walks. By week seven, her breasts were decidedly larger and definitely sore. She could practically hear Tony say, _This is a huge perk to pregnancy. Not that they weren’t perfect before, but I can’t say I’m complaining._

Jim finally moved the last of his belongings out of his D.C. apartment. He was keeping his room at the newly built Avenger’s Compound mostly for storage purposes. He took over the downstairs guest room opposite Pepper’s office. She had a vague plan forming in her mind to convert the garage into something larger and more comfortable, but that would involve sorting Tony’s stuff, finding new homes for DUM-E and U (she really needed to do that anyways) and generally opening a drawer she wasn’t yet ready for. Their closet still held a sizable portion of his wardrobe for goodness’ sake.

The weather warmed and one morning as she reached for her softest yoga pants, she finally saw it. Pepper pressed a palm against her now protruding abdomen. “Hello there,” she murmured. “About time you showed up.”

If the enlarged, sore breasts and the fact that none of her clothes truly fit anymore weren’t big enough signs this was real, seeing an actual baby bump truly did it. It also signaled that it was time to tell Morgan and to start preparing.

Pepper pulled on her clothes and opened her bedroom door. Her daughter was playing in her own bedroom, muttering to herself and likely to her toys. She entered the room, smiling at the chaotic organization of stuffed animals, dolls, and action figures. “Sweetheart, I have something to show you.”

Still in her favorite Frozen pajamas, Morgan looked up from her game of pretend. “What is it?”

“Come here.” Pepper sat on the bed, gesturing for her daughter to sit beside her.

“Remember how I said I would grow the baby inside of me? Well, look.”

She lifted her cotton shirt to display the new change. Morgan frowned. “ _That’s_ the baby?”

“Yep. He or she is really, really tiny right now, but they’ll get bigger and so will my belly to make room for them.”

“That’s so weird.”

Pepper laughed, kissing Morgan’s forehead. “It is a little. The baby will be here before we know it. We need to start getting ready.”

“What do we have to do?”

“Well, the bedroom across the hall is going to be their room. We need to paint it and pick out furniture and toys.”

“I can help with the toys,” she proclaimed.

“I’m sure you can.” She gave her daughter another kiss. “You’re going to a great big sister.”

She left her four year old to play alone and headed to her office downstairs. Today would be the day she finally had an important conversation. She had emailed Alina earlier in the week, scheduling a video call with her young COO.

Alina was right on time, as always. Her smiling face filled the screen. “Hi Pepper, how are you? How’s Morgan?”

Of all of the members of Stark Industries’ executive suite, Pepper favored Alina the most. She was young, bright, and shared a lot of the qualities that had made Pepper herself so successful. It was only a matter of time before another company poached her so Pepper knew she couldn’t delay her next big decision.

“Hi Alina, we’re all great here. How’s Rex?”

“Right here actually.” The camera shifted to show a sleeping labradoodle at Alina’s feet. “Lazy Saturday for this guy.”

“Aw, he’s so sweet.”

“I keep telling you to get one for Morgan. She’d love it.”

“The alpaca is enough work and he doesn’t come in the house. But I appreciate the suggestion.” Pepper sat up a bit straighter, hoping her demeanor would translate through the webcam. “I need to talk to you about something important.”

Alina caught on, her own posture adjusting. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, everyone is fine.” The camera didn’t show it, but Pepper’s hand had migrated to her bump. “I’m not going to beat around the bush. Alina, I want you to take over for me as CEO - temporarily, of course.”

There was a moment of silence. Alina’s eyes had widened slightly as she absorbed Pepper’s words. The older woman smiled comfortingly before continuing. “I wanted to speak to you before drawing up the official contracts but I’d like to offer you a two year deal. I will remain as Chairman of the board, and of course as majority shareholder I will still be involved in major decision making. But I want to instate you officially as CEO. What are your thoughts on that?”

Alina blinked. “I don’t know what to say. Are you sure I’m qualified? Surely someone else-”

“There is no one else I would trust more. Frankly, Alina, you are meant to be a CEO. I have no doubt that in a few years you will be running your own company. I was hoping you could consider this something of a test drive.”

Pepper was being genuine. Alina had begun her Stark career as a brand new college graduate less than a decade earlier. She moved up the ranks in a path similar to Pepper’s - as an assistant. First to Accounts Managers, then the CFO, then the COO. Following the loss of the COO during the first Snap, Pepper didn’t hesitate to promote Alina. She was intelligent, young, and her principles were firm. Even Tony held her high regard and he struggled to remember their CFO’s name.

“Pepper, I don’t want to intrude, but can I ask why? I know you took a little time...after...”

“Can you keep a secret? At least for now. I don’t know when I’ll release a statement about this, possibly never.”

The young woman nodded for Pepper to continue. “I’m pregnant. It was something Tony and I had been planning and I decided to go through with it. Being CEO as a single mom to one child is one thing, but two kids? Especially when one is a newborn? It just wouldn’t work.”

Alina smiled softly. “So the two year contract?”

“I’m hoping I’ll have things figured out by then. If anything, Morgan will be in school and maybe the concept of a nanny won’t freak me out so much.”

“You’re sure about this? I mean, Martin has far more experience than me,” she said, referring to their CFO.

“Martin is a numbers guy and he will always be that. No, Alina, you are who I want and you are who Stark needs. Obviously we need to negotiate the details but for now, is this something you’re willing to consider?”

“Yes, absolutely, wow.” Alina blew out a breath. “I’m honored, really. I know how important this is to you.”

“You have no idea,” Pepper responded.

It should have felt more...heart breaking. She had refused to take a full leave when Morgan was born, arguing she was more than capable of keeping the ship sailing in between breast feeding and midnight diaper changes. But that had been with Tony at her side, with no other child needing her attention. Now, handing over the company didn’t feel sad. She was filled with relief. She wasn’t stepping away completely, after all. She may not have changed her name, but she was definitely a Stark and it was definitely her company. That wasn’t going to change until the day one of their children decided they wanted to run things.

But that was very, very far in the future.

***

“You packed the suit without telling him?”

“Well, he was acting like he’s a normal teenager who can just hop over to Europe! I’m not naive, I know things can happen, and I’d rather not turn on the news and see him rescuing a bus full of orphans without a mask or any form of protection.”

Pepper handed Morgan a juice box, phone still pressed to her ear. “A bus full of orphans?”

“This is Peter we’re talking about,” May insisted. “If ever someone would happen upon that situation it would be him.”

She stepped away from the living room, lowering her voice. “Most parents would worry about unprotected sex.”

May laughed loudly. “Maybe if he didn’t struggle to form complete sentences in front of girls.”

“Boys?”

“Ben and I had that discussion, but no.”

“You know best.” Pepper gazed across the room at Morgan. “This is really last minute but I was wondering if you’d be willing to come with me to my appointment tomorrow.”

“You know I will. Is it just a normal check-up or...?”

“Should be pretty routine. I’m officially entering the second trimester. But that doesn’t mean things can’t still...well, you know.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure everything is fine. Is Rhodes watching Morgan?”

“Yeah, they’ve fallen into quite the routine those two.”

“What’s it like having him there full time?”

She finally made herself comfortable in an armchair, her hand cradling her growing stomach. “Not as weird as I’d imagined. To be fair, I have always considered he and Tony something of a set. I know biological siblings no where near as close as those two.”

“And you’ve known him as long as you’ve known Tony.”

“Exactly. Jim and Happy have been family for a very long time so having them here isn’t a bother. At least not yet,” she teased.

May laughed. “Oh, give it some time. I’m sure you’ll change your mind.”

***

It was nice having May accompany her to the appointment. It had been years since Pepper had really enjoyed adult, female company. With Jim retired and taking care of Morgan, and Alina already taking the reigns at Stark, Pepper now was experiencing that rare phenomena known as free time.

The ultrasound and blood work were all normal, though she didn’t miss Dr. Simmon’s tone when the doctor stressed the importance of rest and relaxation. No undue stress or straining.

May had taken the entire afternoon off so the two women ended up enjoying a late lunch and manicures as Pepper’s way of saying thank you. It also gave Pepper a chance to bring up a lighter topic.

“Okay, what’s going on with you and Happy?”

Unlike the former boxer, May did not dodge the question. “We’re spending some time together.”

Pepper shared a knowing smile with the manicurist who was clearly following the conversation. “Is that what they’re calling it now?”

“Are you telling me he’s a bad choice?”

“Not at all. Quite the opposite actually. I spent at least ten years trying to set him up with someone before giving up. Tony was actually rather devoted to that task these last few years.”

May looked thoughtful. “ _Is_ there a reason he’s been single so long? I haven’t pried or anything but he made it sound like he’s never had a real serious relationship.”

“Happy loves his job and his friends and I think rarely connects with people, particularly women. He’s had girlfriends over the years, a few I even liked.” Pepper thought back. “He lived with one for a while, maybe a year or so.”

“How did that end?”

“If I’m remembering correctly, Tony went on a three month bender that involved so much international travel we spent maybe five days total in California. Not so good for relationships.”

May chuckled. “I bet the people on that trip bonded.”

“At the time, I’d swear it was the worst three months of my life. However, I did enjoy a lot of it.” She shared a knowing smile. “He was holed up in a Paris apartment with a revolving door of women for at least a week. I spent that time shopping with his credit cards.”

“Your relationship would make for a fascinating movie. Or a novel.”

“Oh, we’d need a dozen novels to cover even half of our twenty plus years together.”

“I’d read them!”

Even the manicurists laughed at that.

***

Pepper felt huge. This pregnancy was not panning out the way her first had. With Morgan, it had been almost stereotypical. There had been morning sickness, the breasts, some mood swings, and above all, she gained weight at a normal rate.

According to her OB/GYN, she was entering week fourteen. According to her belly, she was feeling more like it was week nineteen. “Does this mean you’re going to be a big baby? Or am I just carrying like you are?”

Morgan was now fascinated by Pepper’s growing form. She regularly reached out to press a hand against her, eyes wide. Pepper enjoyed this because it was the only interest the small child had displayed thus far. Morgan wanted nothing to do with her new sibling or any preparations for their arrival. Her only input had been that she would not be sharing her favorite toys. Instead, she would designate certain items that the baby would be allowed to sometimes play with according to Morgan’s specific terms. That girl was too clever for her own good.

It was a little after one and Morgan was taking a short nap for once. Rhodey had her running around outside most of the morning playing games the pair made up on the spot. Now both of them were worn out and resting, leaving Pepper alone in the living room.

Her phone buzzed and she harrumphed at Happy’s name. “Where have you been? Jim says you had an emergency and wouldn’t say anything more. Also, May hasn’t returned my calls. What is going on?”

There was a sigh. “I’m on my to you now. With May and Peter.”

“What’s wrong? What’s happened?”

“None of us wanted to stress you out-”

“Tell me now.”

“Just...maybe look online. Anywhere online, I’m sure everyone is talking about it.”

Not ending the call, Pepper opened her seldom used News app. The headlines were enough. “Holy shit.”

“Yeah, that sums it up. I can take them to the Compound if you’d prefer.”

“No, no, bring them here. How are they - no, never mind, just get them here.”

“We’re an hour out. See you then.”

Pepper ended the call and went down the hall to Rhodey’s room. She knocked, waited for a response and then entered. He wasn’t asleep but he was reclined on the bed with his tablet. He frowned. “What’s up?”

She held up her phone, the screen showing the latest headlines. He groaned. “Yeah, I saw that.”

“And you didn’t say anything?”

“Rest and relaxation,” he emphasized, now sitting up.

“Ooh!” She narrowed her gaze. “I regret taking May with me. Now you all just gang up on me. This isn’t like hiding a bad market day for the company, this is _Peter_ , he’s family, I should know these things.”

“Happy is taking care of it.”

“Happy?” She sputtered. “No, this is not a Happy situation.” She stepped back to the door. “They’ll be here in an hour. Keep an ear out for Morgan.”

“Where are you going?”

Pepper was already across the hall. “To talk to our lawyers,” she called, closing her office door behind her.

She was rather proud of herself for how she conducted the next hour. She had the entire power of the PR and legal departments on this. Sam Wilson, the new Avengers leader, joined her on several calls. By the end, Pepper was confident this was a genie who could be pushed back into the bottle. The problem would be how many people would actually believe it.

Noises echoed through the door and she knew Happy must have arrived with the Parkers. Entering the main room, she took assessment of their guests. Happy was already pushing forward, bags in his arms. He met Pepper’s eyes.

“Upstairs bedroom,” she directed, thankful that she had yet to redecorate the future nursery.

May looked forlorn, her attention on Peter who was crouched down on his knees, his arms around Morgan. The teen looked devastated, his eyes red and distant. Pepper reached out and placed a hand on May’s shoulder.

“Thanks for letting us hide out here. I know you weren’t imagining a house full of people right now,” May told her gratefully.

“You and Peter are always welcome here.” Pepper sighed. “Although, to be honest, I’m starting to think a few additional bedrooms wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

Peter released Morgan, finally standing up. His eyes immediately dropped to Pepper’s belly, a confused, almost despairing expression on his face. He opened and closed his mouth.

Morgan noticed. “Mommy’s growing a baby. It’s weird.”

May brushed back the girl’s hair. “It’s not weird. It’s just a little different than what we’re used to.”

Morgan shrugged her shoulders. “Pete, come play with my dinosaurs. I gave them new names.”

Peter looked exhausted but Pepper knew he’d never deny the young Stark, so she saved him. “Honey, Peter and May need a little time to settle in. Why don’t you ask Happy to play with you?” The burly man had just descended the stairs.

With Happy on Morgan duty, the others gathered at the kitchen table. Rhodey quickly joined them, starting the coffee and the discussion.

“I’ve pulled everything I can on this Beck person. All I can say is... Tony probably had the right idea about him.”

Pepper nodded in agreement. “I’m not justifying Tony’s behavior by any means but those former employees you met were not exactly popular. I ran the list Fury sent me against company records and a lot of them had red flags in their files. Trouble working with others, accusations of theft or unethical practices.” She paused. “But not all of them. Some of them were just hurt and upset, and reacted as such. You may not like hearing this Peter, but Tony could be an asshole sometimes.”

“World saving aside, there’s a reason I never wanted to work for him,” Rhodey commented, setting out coffee mugs.

“I’m sorry I fell for it, I should-”

May interrupted her nephew. “Honey, there are only so many ways you can apologize. We all know your intentions were good. You’re barely sixteen, you’re not going to always have the answers.”

“Which is why you weren’t supposed to be given EDITH right away. Tony wanted you to have that, but he certainly didn’t plan for Fury to hand it to you while on a school trip to Europe. You should have had supervised instruction with it, time to adjust...” Pepper took the cup of tea prepared by her friend with a smile.

“I know. I’m sorry,” Peter muttered, staring at his hands in his lap.

May and Pepper shared a look, the former placing a hand on her nephew’s shoulder. “Why don’t you go lay down for a bit? You’ll need your rest if you’re going to be living with Morgan.”

Pepper smiled. “That’s no exaggeration.”

The teen nodded silently and slumped away to the stairs. The adults watched him leave. May turned to Pepper. “How bad will this be?”

“Bad. But it’s fixable. The Avengers will be releasing a statement claiming that while they will not divulge Spider-Man’s true identity, they will confirm it is not Peter Parker. We’re actually going with a half truth here. Stark Industries will state that this is clearly a case of revenge against Tony, using his former intern as a scapegoat.”

“But the damage is still done. The whole world has seen Peter’s face.”

“Which is why you all should hang around here for a while,” Rhodey insisted. “Sam’s making sure there’s room at the Compound, so you’ll have that option as well.”

“But I meant what I said, you and Peter are always welcome here,” Pepper reminded her.

The day dragged on in a haze of emotion. Peter came downstairs for dinner looking like he hadn’t rested at all. Morgan was in heaven with so many admirers present. Bedtime was utter chaos with the resident Alpha Female demanding attention from every single adult (and one teenager) present in the house. Finally, with May and Peter settled in the upstairs guest room, and Morgan asleep in her own bed, Pepper wandered back downstairs.

Happy was no where in sight and Rhodey was, strangely, seated beside Tony’s holo table. “Where’s Happy?”

Jim looked up at her as she approached. “Man hadn’t slept properly in days. He’s crashed in my room.”

She shot him a disapproving look. “I wish you had told me. We can move Morgan to my bed and you can sleep there.” She glanced at the table. “What are you doing?”

He tapped the table, light flooding the room. “FRIDAY is pretty amazing, you know?”

Pepper smiled. “She’s a little part of Tony.”

“I realized something a few days ago and today made me really think about it.”

“This sounds like a sitting down conversation.” She settled onto the second stool that had once been placed there for a certain girl to watch her father work.

Rhodey chuckled, tapping at the controls. “You’re never going to want to leave this house.”

She thought back to her musings at the penthouse apartment. “Well, that’s not feasible. The local school here could never keep up with Morgan. Believe me, I checked.”

“Maybe not full time, but this house has been more your home than any other. Tony felt the same. You’ll always spend weekends and holidays here.”

Pepper wasn’t sure where this was going, so she stayed silent.

“I missed a lot, you know? Decades of always being in Tony’s general space, and when he finally gets married and has a kid, where am I? Gone. Away for one mission after another.”

“Jim, the Avengers were gone. War Machine was needed.”

He shook his head. “I know, but it doesn’t change the fact that I almost missed Morgan being born. I found out about her first word a week after the fact. The first time I saw her walk, she had already been doing it for three months. I know she’s not my kid, but she’s Tony’s and I always... I always thought I’d be there for that kind of thing. After thirty years, I should be there.

“And now Happy is here, which is great. You know I love that man. And May, and Peter. God, Peter. You know Tony always hoped that extra bedroom up stairs would be for that kid.”

“Rhodey, I told you I wanted to have another baby, and you retired and moved in.” She reached for his hands. “You have nothing to feel guilty about. At all.”

“I just want to make it clear that I’m not going anywhere. As long as you want Uncle Rhodey around, I’m here.” He finally smiled. “But I’m not the only one.”

He turned to the table and tapped a few times. Pepper watched as the light morphed and detailed schematics for the house appeared. Only they were different. Jim used his fingers to rotate the image.

“Nothing too major,” he explained. “Just an extension of the back really. FRIDAY came up with it actually. This floor would get an extra bedroom and bathroom about the size of the master, plus a little more room in your office. The upstairs would get another bedroom and bathroom, plus...” He expanded the image. “A playroom for the kids. That was FRIDAY’s best contribution, I think.”

Pepper couldn’t help but grin. Yes, there was a wave of anxiety brewing over the thought of even more change but this was a solution to a problem. She needed help. Help that came in the form of more people living in this house. When she and Tony had first purchased the property, they never imagined needing more than four bedrooms. Their days of lavish living with entire guest wings was in the rear view. They just wanted enough space to raise their daughter. Now, Pepper needed a little more space to raise both of their children.

“This looks like it would take months.”

Jim hummed thoughtfully. “Yeah, but I’m sure you’re aware that when you have a lot of influence over government officials it’s amazing how quickly you can get the necessary permits. The construction itself, well, that just takes money. FRIDAY thinks with the right construction company, it can be completely finished in three to five weeks depending on weather conditions.”

She blew out a cathartic breath of air. “What the hell, life can’t get any crazier, can it?”

***

The renovations idea ended up being a blessing. Peter and May were essentially on house arrest until Fury and Pepper’s PR teams got a better handle on the identity reveal. Not only that, but they had been advised to keep their phones turned off. The Parkers were going off the grid until further notice. This meant conversations about paint colors and furniture was a welcome distraction.

“I want a slide in my room,” Morgan announced, looking at the designs spread across the kitchen table.

Peter had her in his lap. “I don’t know, Mo, if you get one then Happy’s going to want one too and,” he dramatically looked around before dropping his voice to a whisper, “I don’t think they make slides big enough for him.”

Pepper smiled at the pair. “Actually Morgan, I was wondering if you’d like to have the brand new bedroom.”

The girl frowned. “Why?”

“Well, your bedroom right now is right next to my room so it would make more sense to turn that into a nursery.”

“I’m not giving the baby my room.”

Pepper didn’t waver. “The new bedroom will be bigger, the bathroom will be attached, and you’ll have _three_ windows.”

“I only have two right now,” Morgan realized aloud.

“Plus, this room will be across the hall right next to the new playroom.”

Morgan was now scrambling out of Peter’s lap. “Okay, okay, I’ll let the baby have my room. But not my toys.” As though she had suddenly remembered she had somewhere urgent to be, the four year old raced up the stairs without another word.

Pepper shook her head at her daughter’s antics before looking back at Peter. “Well, at least she’s on board. Morgan gets the new room, baby goes in her old one, that means you keep your room. Have you thought about how you want to decorate it?”

Peter stared back blankly. “M-my room?”

“The room you and May are in will be your room, yes.” She softened. “When Rhodey pitched this idea to me, he reminded me that Tony always hoped that bedroom would be yours one day. Now it will be. Just for weekends and vacations of course,” she teased.

Peter was silent, and she didn’t miss the moisture present in his eyes. At this point, the teen superhero was much more aware of how much he meant to Tony. But that didn’t change the fact that Peter had missed five years. Five years in which Tony stewed and regretted, wished he had been more present, done more for Peter. The fifteen year old woke up to watch his mentor die and be told, it’s okay, Tony loved you? Pepper could at least sympathize.

She pushed her tablet towards him. “Tell me if this is too cliche, but I was thinking Spider-Man colors.”

Peter looked at the screen where she had color samples of blues and reds organized. He smiled. “I don’t think May would want to stay in that room.”

“The entire point of the addition is that there is room for everyone. You won’t be sharing your room with anyone. There’s the new guest room, and with my office being expanded, I’m putting in a day bed, just in case.” She gave Peter a teasing look. “Although, with the way things are going, she might be staying with Happy.”

He grimaced. “Don’t. It’s weird enough. I’m trying to pretend they aren’t...whatever they are.”

“They’ve been walking around the lake for nearly an hour now. I think they’re definitely something.”

“Something I don’t need to know about.”

“For now,” she warned. She turned to the open laptop, wondering if she should get FRIDAY to set up the holo table for her rather than bounce between every smart device she owned. She opened the window for tile - she needed to order samples today so she could get a final decision to the contractor next week. “Technically, you are possibly sharing a bathroom with the little one.” She paused. “Or we could just make your room a little smaller, steal from the playroom, and then-”

“Pepper, I’m not _really_ moving in,” Peter interrupted. “I don’t need all of this.”

She leaned back in her chair. “Will you believe that now that I’m not working much, I don’t know what to do with myself?”

“Yes.”

“Then help me pick out tile for your bathroom.”

The week carried on in that same manner. It was striking to Pepper how much she enjoyed having a full house. Tony’s energy was so large and all consuming, it was like the void he left behind required a lot of people.

Happy and May continued their flirtatious routine, though neither one of them would admit to anything more than “spending time together”. Morgan integrated Peter into her routine so heavily that Pepper was worried she wouldn’t handle his leaving very well. Rhodey was probably enjoying the crowd most of all; he took Peter out to the garage to spend a little time tinkering, checking on the robots, and looking over the projects Tony had left behind.

Week one flew by. By the beginning of the second week, Pepper had signed all of the paperwork for the contractors, finalized most of the designs, and, after a number of swaying phone calls and charitable donations, the permits were secured. They would have to vacate the house for a full three weeks. This was where things would get tricky.

“I’ve been promised that the rest of the house won’t be touched, but they’re blowing out the entire west side for crying out loud, the rest of the house will be effected.”

It was dinner time and Pepper was ranting. “It wouldn’t be practical to move everything to the penthouse just for three weeks.”

“Are you worried about the workers being around everything?” May asked.

“No, FRIDAY will still be watching. I’m just feeling a little overwhelmed.”

“You just designed several new rooms in a matter of days, but the moving part is what worries you?”

“Do you know how many houses I decorated when I was Tony’s assistant? I considered adding ‘Interior Designer’ to my resume.”

“You did excellent work on the house in Hawaii,” Happy chimed in.

Pepper smiled appreciatively. “You know there were entire years where Tony and I were back and forth between Malibu and New York and the travel... Now after five years of being here it’s just a strange feeling to be moving.”

“That’s the whole point of the remodel,” Rhodey pointed out. “This is so you don’t feel like you need to move.”

There were too many things going through her mind related to this project. It was overwhelming and yet so soothing. This was what Pepper was good at. The first ten years of her relationship with Tony had been about putting his chaos into order. She notices the little things, managed the details, and generally kept everything and everyone moving along through work and life.

Her eyes widened at another thought. “What are we going to do about Gerald?”

***

The summer seemed to move at double speed.

Peter and May eventually returned to their home in Queens. Pepper wasn’t entirely sure how Nick Fury had pulled it off, but he had managed to procure a disturbingly accurate Peter Parker doppelgänger so that both Spider-Man and “Peter” could be seen in public together. The only explanation the former SHIELD leader would only provide for the look-a-like was, “Alien in nature”. Pepper decided to be okay with whatever it took to keep Peter and Spider-Man safe.

After three weeks confined to the penthouse apartment, the renovations were completed on schedule. Morgan now had a purple bedroom with a Queen sized bed that she looked hysterically tiny lying in. The playroom was now her daughter’s favorite place in the home thanks to the large windows, television, and best of all, the indoor swing that had been Happy’s last minute suggestion. On early mornings you could now find the Stark child happily swinging as she watched her cartoons. Tony would’ve loved the swing. _We should install two, Pepper, so one of us can swing with her._

Rhodey had a more comfortably sized bedroom and bathroom that allowed him more privacy. Happy was just pleased he would no longer have to “bunk with that idiot” when he stayed the night.

Peter’s bedroom went from a generic guest room to a space that actually reflected the teenaged boy it belonged to. The walls were painted a steel blue and Pepper found a vintage Star Wars poster and gave the super teen a generous allowance to add further decor. Without school in session, Peter was able to tag along with Happy for the occasional weekend visit; after several of these trips, Pepper noted happily that the bedroom was now littered with personal touches like forgotten T-shirts, half finished lego models, and to her exasperation, empty soda cans. One day when cleaning out forgotten snack wrappers, she noted a familiar photograph sitting on the desk; Peter had made a copy of the lone photo of he and Tony. Pepper ordered several picture frames, leaving them on the desk with a note reminding Peter that he was always welcome to use the printer in her office.

Having Peter more involved in their family life was bittersweet. Years of watching Tony wish he had been more involved in the boy’s life, and now they had Peter but no Tony. May was also a welcome addition, providing Pepper a friendship she didn’t know she so desperately needed. It was also amusing to watch her and Happy navigate their strange courtship.

The second week of August brought two events that drew the Starks into the city: Peter’s sixteenth birthday and Pepper’s twenty-week ultrasound. She didn’t share with the others, but she was hoping to learn the baby’s sex at the appointment. With Morgan they were lucky and found out at week eighteen. /Like with their first child, Pepper truly did not have a preference between a boy or a girl. Her only hope was healthy and full term.

Peter’s birthday was on Saturday. Dr. Simmons was accommodating and offered Pepper an appointment first thing that morning. She tried something very new and brought both Morgan and Rhodey along for the appointment. While her four year old wasn’t at all interested in the visit, Pepper could see how much it meant to Jim to be included.

Dr. Simmons gave a watered down explanation for both of their guests. “That’s the head, and then we see the arms...” The doctor smiled. “Would you like to know the sex?”

“The what?” Morgan asked, staring at the screen in curiosity.

Pepper smiled, her hand holding her daughter’s. “We would love to know.”

Dr. Simmons moved the probe to focus on the desired area. Pepper, having experienced this plenty of times already, immediately zeroed in on what she thought was the identifying parts. “Is that?”

“It’s a boy.”

Rhodey let out an uncharacteristically loud cheer. “Yes!” At the amused looks of the other women, he shrank down. “Not that I wouldn’t be thrilled with a girl. It’ll just be nice having some masculine energy in the house.”

“You’re getting a baby brother, Morgan,” Pepper whispered, feeling tears forming in her eyes. She could blame the hormones for that.

Morgan frowned. “But I already have a brother!”

“And Peter will be so happy to hear you say that, but this is a little brother. It’s different from a big brother.”

Jim was mesmerized by the screen. “Look at him moving in there!”

Pepper was more enraptured by the reactions of her two loved ones than her own feelings about it. A boy. She could so easily picture a toddler with brown eyes and hair, and a mischievous smirk that would show he was up to no good. Tony would be on cloud nine right now, only slightly tainted by the terror of having to learn a whole new parenting style. _I know what to do with a girl now, Pep, but a boy? What if he wants to play sports or something?_

She was going on an entirely new journey of motherhood. Two kids. One girl, and now a boy. She should appreciate the next few months because she had feeling sleep was going to be a precious commodity for the next ten to twelve years. Longer if this one took after Tony in his teen years.

After the appointment, they discreetly went to lunch. Pepper had to be careful about going out in the world now that she was showing. She could see the headlines now: Stark Widow Pregnant By Ex-Best Friend. They’d likely pair it with an image of a young Tony and Rhodey, something to show the depth of the betrayal.

She would have to make some decisions soon about what she would tell the public or at least tell their publicist. They hadn’t really announced Morgan’s birth. They floated a memo around Stark Industries after she was born, a simple statement explaining they had welcomed a healthy baby girl with no further details. They made so few public appearances in recent years; a few charity galas here and there but nothing major and certainly nothing that included Morgan.

They made it back to the penthouse just in time to meet the birthday boy. Pepper immediately realized that she hadn’t considered that finding out the baby’s sex today would steal some of the teen’s thunder.

When FRIDAY announced that Peter was in the building, Morgan went straight to the elevator doors to wait. No sooner had they slid open did she cross her arms, disgruntled, and plainly informing the vigilante: “I’m getting a stupid baby _brother_.”

Pepper was ready with all kinds of apologies and birthday wishes but Peter didn’t seem upset. He stepped into the room with an open mouthed smile. “It’s a boy?”

She sighed, walking over to hug him. “Happy birthday, honey. And yes, the baby is a boy.”

He looked at her belly for a moment, still grinning. “Mo, this is great!”

“No, I already have a brother. I don’t need another one.”

A soft look passed over the teen’s face and he crouched down to her level. “But I already have a little sister, so I’m pretty excited to get a brother too. He’s going to look up to you, and you’re going to teach him everything you know.”

“No.” She shook her head. “He has to learn things on his own.”

“Yeah, but you can also teach him things.”

Morgan scrunched up her nose. “How about you teach him things,” she informed him before trotting away to her preferred corner of the great room.

“I’m so looking forward to her teenaged years,” Pepper said dryly. “I’m sorry for stealing the spotlight a bit.”

“It’s fine, really, finding out I’m getting a little brother is pretty exciting. It’s kind of a present on its own.” His repeated use of the ‘B’ word left Pepper smiling. He had come a long way from that scrappy kid in Queens that Tony had discovered on the internet. She remembered her actual birthday gift to Peter and went to collect her shoes.

“Where are we going?” He asked, following her into the elevator.

She took a deep breath before announcing to FRIDAY where to go. “Tony’s workshop, please, FRI.”

Peter was silent as they stepped off of the elevator into the untouched space. It had been stripped of most of its high end tech when they moved to the lake house, but it still held enough equipment to be a workable space. She knew Peter hadn’t been on this floor since before the Snap.

“I know you already have permissions for Tony’s workshop at home, and at the new Compound. You also still have security clearance to use the labs at SI.” He perked up at that. “But two of those options are upstate, too far for you to swing to, and the labs aren’t nearly as secure. That’s why I want you to use this place. It’s now yours.”

“M-mine? I can’t-”

“I already had FRIDAY give you full access to both floors. This way if you need to quickly repair your suit or mix new web fluids, you have a safe place to do it.” She leveled him a calm look. “The penthouse can also be a safe place for you, for whatever reason. Even if you just need a quiet place to study, you are welcome here anytime.”

He was shaking his head, still gazing around the room. “This is too much...”

“It is a lot,” she admitted, remembering the beginning of the summer and EDITH and Beck. “I’m trusting you to be responsible. This isn’t an excuse for you to get away with dangerous experiments or to hide injuries or even to throw parties with your friends. FRIDAY will alert us every time you access the building.”

“Us?”

“Myself, Rhodey, Happy, and May. Like I said, this is meant to be a safe place and part of keeping you safe is letting the people who love you know where you are.” Pepper’s face softened. “Maybe when you’re a senior we can lift some of the restrictions.”

“Thank you.” Peter shifted on his feet, nerves and gratitude clear in his eyes. “I mean, just, _thank you_.”

“You’re very welcome, Peter,” she said softly, wondering if she could actually feel Tony standing beside her with his signature grin. “Happy birthday.”

They had dinner catered in the penthouse so they could accommodate the entire family plus Ned, and much to everyone’s excitement, the infamous Michelle. The identity reveal had put a damper on the burgeoning romance so Pepper and May had both been forced to wait an uncomfortably long time to really get to know the girl Peter had been crushing on for so long. The teen girl was interesting and engaged in long conversations with everyone, including Morgan. By the end of the meal, Pepper was fairly certain her four year old daughter had declared herself a feminist activist.

***

At the end of August, Pepper awoke to the sound of shouting and...a saw? She climbed out of bed, noting it was after eight and she had apparently slept in far later than usual. She approached her window and frowned at the scene playing out down below.

Rhodey, Happy and Peter were standing around the large oak tree on the other side of the garden. Morgan, clearly still in her pajamas, was clinging to Peter’s back. A pile of fresh plywood and tools were just visible. Pepper sighed and went searching for a pair of shoes.

Once out the front door, she approached the men. “Do I even want to know what is going on?”

“Mommy, I’m getting a tree house!” Morgan shouted, nearly strangling Peter in her excitement.

Pepper’s eyed widened and she looked towards the responsible men who had the decency to look sheepish. “You see,” Jim explained, “we were discussing the leftover supplies the contractors left from the remodel.”

“And,” Happy added, “trying to decide what we should build with it. The greenhouse doesn’t need anything.”

“And Gerald is spoiled enough with his central heating and flatscreen so there’s no need to expand the barn.”

They both glanced to Peter, clearly hoping he could take over. The teen froze for a moment before mustering a quiet, “I always wanted a tree house when I was Morgan’s age?”

She shook her head. “This may be one of those things you’re supposed to talk to me about before you actually do it.”

“But, Mommy, we have the perfect tree!” Morgan waved a hand at the oak they were standing below.

“We thought it would be a good new big sister present.” Rhodey smiled.

“I thought that’s what the new bedroom and the playroom was.”

“Technically the new bedroom was a compromise since the baby is getting her old room,” Happy reasoned. “The playroom, she’s going to have to share pretty much right from the start. It’ll be a couple of years before the little guy can go up in a treehouse.”

Peter adjusted his sister. “It’ll be the Morgan Stark Clubhouse, members only.”

There had to be some parenting book somewhere that warned about the dangers of spoiling your child following the death of a parent or in preparation of a new sibling. Tony’s voice, always present in her mind, sounded again. _A treehouse sounds amazing. But it can’t be a lame one, Pepper, our kids deserve something spectacular. I’m talking full electrical, maybe even functional plumbing - a place they want to run away to so they don’t actually run away when they’re older and decide we’re lame parents._

Pepper drew herself up. “Don’t go overboard.”

The three males started grinning and Peter did a little dance, making Morgan laugh. Pepper smiled. “I’m going back inside. Try not to hurt yourselves.”

They may be spoiling Morgan rotten, but if ever there was time to do it, it was definitely now.

***

“I’m a little concerned about your blood pressure.”

Pepper frowned at her doctor. “What happened to, ‘your blood pressure is amazing’?”

“It’s not amazing anymore. I told you before that was the big thing to be watching out for. You’re following the diet?”

“To the letter.”

“Stress management?”

“I stepped away almost completely from work. I have Jim and Happy always around to help with Morgan. I walk, I’m doing the prenatal yoga, I am essentially a dream patient here.”

Dr. Simmons jotted down her notes. “We knew going into this that you were most likely not going to make to a full forty weeks. Morgan was born at thirty-nine weeks?”

“Six days before her due date.”

“I’m hoping to keep this guy in there until week thirty six. Anything earlier pretty much guarantees at least a short stay in the NICU. I’m confident we can pull this off.”

Pepper ran a hand over her growing belly. “This is where you tell me to be prepared for bed rest.”

“Not just yet. He’s growing right on schedule, a strong heartbeat, everything looks good right now. We just want to keep it that way. It may be helpful to start monitoring your blood pressure at home, try to see if you can identify any stressors that may be contributing.”

“I told you, there’s very little to stress about. Other than the obvious which I can only do so much for,” Pepper explained.

The truth was, she knew exactly what was bothering her. It was almost exactly eleven months since Tony had walked out their front door glibly saying he had to go save the Avengers from de-aging themselves because of course that’s what would happen. A few short days later, Pepper watched the life leave his eyes and her entire world shifting upside down.

All over the world, people were planning their own tributes. Black Widow and Iron Man were set to be the main honorees, with Professor Hulk and Captain America (no one officially could say what happened to the man other than he had retired) also receiving accolades. Clint Barton was in charge of anything honoring Natasha, and per his friend’s wishes, he didn’t allow for much. Pepper had helped him establish funds for an orphanage in her hometown, and he never denied any reasonable public memorials. Bruce was maintaining a strictly academic lifestyle; he spent his days traveling, giving lectures on his specialties and occasionally, when asked really nicely, relaying stories about his time as an Avenger.

Pepper was inundated with requests about Tony. Now that time had passed and governments were functioning properly again, everyone wanted to have the best Iron Man memorial. She denied nearly all of them, usually responding with a request to donate to or simply publicize one of the many foundations she and Tony had established instead.

MIT had made a very fervent request to build a giant statue of Tony in front of the robotics building that already housed a Stark Robotics Laboratory thanks to a generous Howard Stark donation in the eighties. Pepper, remembering the fondness Tony held for his alma mater, countered with a different suggestion for the memorial. On the day of the anniversary, the university president would be unveiling a life-size bronze statue of DUM-E and U along with a small plaque honoring their creator’s contributions to science. They were, after all, the stars of Tony’s college years.

Rhodey and Happy were both growing more somber as the noted day approached. Peter, busy with school, hadn’t been for a visit in a few weeks but according to May he was also showing signs of depression over the occasion.

The sadness was encouraging everyone to focus on the positive which meant Morgan’s treehouse was turning into a mammoth project and baby related items were beginning to show up in the house.

It was a Sunday evening and Pepper was standing in Morgan’s former bedroom, the soon to be nursery. They had cleared out all of the furniture, some it having been transferred into her daughter’s new bedroom and some of it simply donated. The ship lap walls were still the same soft pink Tony had tirelessly painted when their two year old entered a pink phase. Pepper had no idea how she wanted to decorate the space for their future son.

Rhodey stepped into the room, the barely heard whir of his leg braces sounding as he moved. “Looking for inspiration?”

She sighed, turning to face him. “Something like that. Blue is a bit cliche, isn’t it?”

He shrugged. “Morgan’s nursery was blue.”

It was. Pepper had read that blue was calming for babies. Not that their baby spent much time in her room; Morgan spent the first three months in a bassinet beside their bed, and Pepper imagined this baby would do the same.

“I don’t want a theme. I don’t like themes.”

“Okay. No themes. I think you’re good just picking a paint color and some furniture.”

_Shouldn’t a girl have a pink room? Isn’t that a thing? Or are we against gender stereotypes? Hey, Pep, can we get one of those toddler beds shaped like a car? I mean, I’d build it of course but still wouldn’t that be great?_

“Pepper?”

She blinked out of her memories. “I’ll look online for some ideas. You’re right, it’s just a paint color and some furniture.”

But it felt like so much more.

***

Word had slowly traveled through their various interlocking circles of friends that there was going to be a new Stark baby. Pepper wasn’t sure how many of them had questioned the timing although in this day and age she thought it was safe to assume they were all aware of practices like in vitro fertilization.

She received emails from people like Laura Barton, offering words of wisdom about going from one to two kids. Sam Wilson reminded her that the Avengers were always available to her. Bruce Banner called to offer his congratulations. According to Rhodey, there were plenty of other people who had learned of the coming baby but were choosing to respect Pepper’s privacy until she announced the birth.

After several weeks of internal debate and researching the internet, the nursery was finally decorated. She went with a cool gray paint color with one wall in dark navy blue. She didn’t order much furniture, just a crib, a long dresser and bookshelves for beneath the windows, all in a black finish. It was simple, clean, and softened with stuffed animals and the same plush rug that had adorned Morgan’s nursery.

The day of the anniversary arrived and everyone in the house turned off their devices. Happy remained in the city to keep an eye on Peter; the teen was planning to honor the day doing what he did best: being the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Morgan was blissfully unaware of the day’s meaning and Pepper wondered if this would be the only time she was.

After putting her daughter to bed, she sat in the living room with Jim and a cup of herbal tea. She sighed, one hand rubbing her belly. “This is awful,” she declared. “I knew it would be awful, but actually experiencing it now... I hate this.”

Jim was stretched across the couch, an arm covering his eyes as though the dim light of the room was too much for him. “Do you remember...” he started, speaking slowly, “how awful Tony used to be on the anniversary of his parents’ death?”

Pepper let out a hollow laugh. “I don’t think I could forget if I tried. The early years were the worse because he still dabbled in drugs.”

“The first year was the worst,” Rhodey claimed. “I couldn’t get to him until two days after, and he was a wreck. Some years I was convinced I’d find him choking on his own vomit or he’d accidentally drown or step into traffic.”

“He got better,” Pepper said softly. “Every year he was a little less destructive. By the time we were dating, he barely acknowledged the day. He would just get a little quieter, a bit somber, I suppose.”

“So in twenty years, maybe this day won’t seem so awful.”

A subtle movement inside her caught her attention. She rubbed a hand down her side, following the movement of the active baby inside. Pepper wasn’t sure if their son was simply more active than Morgan had been or if she was just better at noticing this time around.

She looked over at Jim. “I think every year will be difficult. Just in a different way. But, this time next year, we’ll probably be too busy to be sad.”

He groaned sarcastically. “Damn Tony’s genes. This kid is going to be a handful.”

_Without a doubt, Platypus. My boy is going to run you ragged and guess what? You are going to love it._

Another light kick bounced into her palm. “I have a feeling he will definitely be that.”

***

“Peter, I’m pregnant, not an invalid.”

“But the doctor said-”

“Bedrest does not actually mean I can’t leave the bed.”

“But I can-”

“Move it, Parker,” she growled, one hand bracing her back.

Despite the baby being perfectly average in size, Pepper was carrying a lot larger than she had with Morgan. At least that’s how it felt. Both Rhodey and Happy claimed she looked even smaller this time around but she felt as though she was massive. Her back hurt, her feet were killing her, and she wasn’t even doing anything.

It was week two of bedrest and she was entering her thirty-fifth week of pregnancy. This was good according to Dr. Simmons and even if she went into labor today, the baby was unlikely to have major concerns. They were in the homestretch and the goal was to keep baby boy inside for another two weeks at least.

Peter had tagged along with Happy for the weekend in the hopes of finishing the tree house before the first major snow fall. They had been experiencing flurries and there were some mornings where the lake looked partially frozen, but nothing eventful had happened.

The tree house had, as expected, turned into a whale of a project that spanned not one but two trees. Having Spider-Man and an MIT trained engineer build you a tree house meant you weren’t just getting a one room platform with a rope ladder. It was three different levels. There was a winding slide, a tree dotted with climbing points, a zip line, and a viewing platform for the telescope Jim had promised his niece for Christmas. Overboard was a serious understatement. Tony would be ecstatic and more than a little jealous that he hadn’t designed and built it himself. _They didn’t include plumbing, honey, you know I would’ve added running water. Maybe a little water feature of some sort._

Peter hovered uncomfortably as Pepper walked across the hall to the playroom. Morgan was on the floor, pushing cars around. Happy and Rhodey were on the couch, eyes on a football game playing on the television. The men looked up when she entered.

“What are you doing up?”

Pepper held up a finger in warning. “I am growing a human over here. If I want to stretch my legs every so often, I am going to do it.”

She should of known her words would come back to haunt her. A sharp pain shot through her, one she knew very well. Her arm flung out, instinctually grabbing the nearest thing to brace herself on which happened to be Peter’s arm. “Shit,” she breathed.

“Mommy said a bad word,” Morgan announced, not even looking up from her toys.

“Was that...?” Rhodey was already standing up.

Pepper nodded weakly. “Okay, maybe I do need to be in bed.”

Happy stood up as well. “I’ll call the doctor.”

“I’ll start timing the contractions.”

“Oh God, have you two been practicing for this?” Pepper held onto Peter’s arm as she was herded back to her bedroom.

“Pepper, even _Peter_ has been practicing for this,” Jim explained, checking to make sure his smart watch was correctly recorded the time.

The teen opened his mouth, likely to offer up what exactly he had been assigned to practice. Pepper shook head. “Honey, I love you but I don’t want to know. Just help me get back into bed.”

Happy appeared in the doorway looking flustered. “Dr. Simmons says it wouldn’t be a bad idea to head to the penthouse now unless you plan to take the helicopter-”

Pepper cut him off. “Happy, do you honestly think I haven’t planned this entire thing?” She leaned back into the pillows. “I have a plan, a back-up plan, a back-up, back-up plan... Now, are you all ready to listen and do what I tell you?”

All three of them stood at the foot of the bed, heads nodding. “Good. Yes, we are going to drive into the city now and stay at the penthouse until it’s time to head to the hospital. My bag and the baby’s bag are packed and sitting in the closet. There is an overnight bag ready for Morgan but she needs to add whatever toys or stuffed animals she wants to take. Peter, why don’t you go and help her get ready? Jim, go make sure your bag is packed. Happy, check and make sure the car has gas and the new car seat is in there.”

Caught up in the excitement, they vacated the room quickly leaving Pepper alone with her thoughts and emotions. She breathed deeply, her eyes landing on Tony’s photo. This was not the time for sadness or self-doubt but all she could think in the moment was why am I doing this?

_You’re going to be amazing, Pep, you’re always amazing._

She maintained her breathing, desperately wishing she had her husband at her side. She wondered if he would be more relaxed for this second round of labor or if he would be a nervous wreck once again.

Pepper wasn’t sure how long she had laid there imagining Tony’s presence but soon Rhodey was back in the room, his face a mix of nerves and excitement. “Ready to go have a baby?”

She nodded, taking one last glance at the nearby photograph. “I’m ready.”

***

He was a healthy baby boy. He was small, weighing only five pounds, ten ounces, but his lungs were good and every doctor that examined him proclaimed him to be strong and unlikely to develop major problems. They were keeping him in the NICU for now, feeding him additional oxygen and making sure he was maintaining his body temperature. According to his primary pediatrician, they expected him to be ready to go home within one to two weeks.

Pepper was exhausted. She didn’t labor nearly as long as she had for Morgan, but it was just as draining. There was also the added chaos of his delivery being early; she barely got to hold him before he was handed off to specialists to ensure he was healthy.

Jim had been her partner through it all. He only faired slightly better than Tony had. Without the impeding sense of fatherhood, he was able to keep a cooler head and do exactly as Pepper had asked: he held her hand and cheered her on in the most unpatronizing voice he could manage. Although at the first sight of his nephew, the man did sway just enough to cause a nurse to place a steadying hand on his shoulder.

He was currently the only one allowed to visit the baby in the NICU. Happy was at the penthouse with Morgan and both Parkers, relaying the many photos Rhodey had already taken of baby Stark.

Pepper sighed happily, her fingers brushing along her son’s tiny arm as he slept soundly in the comfort and protection of the incubator. Rhodey, seated beside her, slung an arm over her shoulders. “He’s too cute to be Tony’s.”

Her smile widened. “I don’t know. He did make Morgan after all.”

“I always assumed that was a fluke.” He paused. “Have you decided on a name yet?”

The subject of names had come up several times during her pregnancy. Pepper avoided all discussions on the topic. Morgan had been named before Pepper was even pregnant; Tony hadn’t been willing to even entertain the idea that they could name their child something else.

“I have, but I don’t think Tony would like it.”

“All the more reason to use it,” Rhodey joked.

“Well, in that case, I’d like to formally introduce you to Anthony James Stark.” She looked from her baby to her friend. “I thought we could call him James or maybe Jamie. We’ll have to get to know him first, of course.”

“Really?” He was grinning down at the baby. “You sure you don’t want to call him Harold?”

“We already have Morgan H. Stark. I think you’ve earned this. A better question would be are you okay sharing your name?”

“Not even my mother called me James. At this point, I think you, Happy and a few other old friends are the only people that still call me Jim. Jamie Stark sounds pretty good to me.” He squeezed her shoulder. “You’re right, though, Tony would be rolling his eyes at the thought of an Anthony Junior.”

Jamie wiggled in his sleep, his tiny muscles flexing beneath his mother’s touch. “I just think the world deserves to always have a Tony Stark in it, y’know,” she whispered, mostly to herself.

“I wonder if this means Tony won.”

Pepper frowned slightly. “Won what?”

“The baby competition. Anthony and Natasha are the top baby names this year. We’re going to see who had more kids named after them, remember?”

It seemed like a lifetime ago that they were sorting that pile of fan mail, preparing for Morgan’s birthday and the possibility of a second baby. “Well, I have made my contribution to that count. Let me know if this little guy pushed Tony into the lead.”

“I’ll mark my calendar for January first and we’ll look it up then.”

They fell into comfortable silence, both mesmerized by the newborn sleeping in front of them. _Look what we made, Tony, he’s perfect. He’s absolutely perfect._

Somehow, she was confident that Tony did know.

***

_Six Weeks Later_

“Morgan H. Stark, stop climbing all over your brother. You’re going to break something.”

“But Mom!”

“Now, young lady, it’s almost time for dinner.”

The girl huffed in frustrated but obediently climbed off of Peter’s back. The sixteen year old stretched with a sarcastic groan. “Mo, you’re getting too big for that.”

“You’re Spider-Man, you can lift an entire bus.”

“You’re still heavy.”

Morgan stuck out her tongue, a gesture her mother did not miss. “Morgan, that’s rude. Now go wash up.”

Peter surveyed the bustling kitchen from a far. “Do they need any help?”

Pepper smiled up at him from her place on the couch. “You want to get involved in Happy’s production?”

He shook his head. “Better not.” He sank down on the couch beside her, eyes now zeroed in on the infant in her arms. “Can I hold him again?”

“You can hold him whenever you want,” Pepper said, shifting her body to easily transition Jamie into his brother’s open arms. “He always get so calm when you hold him. I’m going to miss having you around when school starts back up.”

Peter smiled. “I can homeschool.”

“But who would take care of Queens?”

“I’ll tell everyone I’m taking a big brother leave, they’d understand.”

“May would miss you.”

“She wouldn’t notice. She’s too busy with Happy.”

They both smiled at that. Peter had finally reached a place where he was more amused by his aunt’s love life than disturbed by it. Pepper looked over her shoulder to the kitchen where the couple was orchestrating their Christmas dinner. It was a strange juxtaposition: Happy, the culinary genius, and May, the woman who burned water. Rhodey was ‘overseeing’ the operation from a stool at the island, firing off sarcastic comments to distract his friend. Pepper only hoped they didn’t burn the roast.

Morgan returned from cleaning off the dirt and melted snow from her earlier snow ball fight with Peter. She squished herself into the small space between Peter and her mother. “Is he sleeping?”

“No, but he’s pretty happy right now.”

“I’m pretty happy too,” Morgan declared.

Pepper sat back, watching the three children, all smiling and content. Peter, that sweet fifteen year old that Tony felt such a connection to, Morgan, the bright girl who made her a mother, and Jamie, the final piece she didn’t know she needed. In the background, the sounds of Happy, May and Rhodey, laughing and joking with one another. Their ever growing home was filled with lights and the Christmas tree was overflowing with gifts including a long promised telescope and a hand me down MIT sweatshirt. There was snow outside, a fire roaring in the fireplace, the scent of dinner permeating the house. There were Christmas cards clipped to the mantle, greetings from the Barton family, from the Wakandan royal family, from Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange, Wanda Maximoff, Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne, and many others. There was barely enough room for them all.

From the Stark family, Pepper had sent a secure email containing a message of gratitude and holiday cheer along with a single photo of a three week old Jamie sleeping in his big sister’s arms. He wore a red and gold hat embroidered with his initials. It was one of Pepper’s favorites.

“Dinner is served!” May called from the kitchen.

Pepper carefully took a now sleeping Jamie from Peter’s arms. She waited as everyone fell into their respective chairs. Happy chivalrously pulling out May’s chair for her, Rhodey lifting Morgan into her booster seat, and Peter falling into a chair that he didn’t even know had once been Tony’s preferred spot at the table.

Pepper kissed her son’s head, softly repeating Morgan’s earlier words, “I’m pretty happy too.”


End file.
